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Presenters urge Alamogordo commission to oppose demolition of Sunspot site after mercury leak
Summary
Former NSO staff and local Sunspot leaders warned the commission that National Science Foundation plans to demolish the site after a mercury-bearing leak, and urged the city to explore preservation and reuse as an education and tourism resource instead of wholesale demolition.
Former observatory staff and local advocates urged the Alamogordo City Commission on May 26 to oppose a planned demolition of the Sunspot campus after a mercury-bearing leak in the Dunn Solar Telescope.
Dave Dulan, who described himself as an education officer at the National Solar Observatory’s Sunspot facility for nine years, told the commission that a mercury-bearing support bearing failed on Jan. 5, releasing about 186 pounds of mercury from an 18,000‑pound reservoir inside the telescope mechanism. Dulan said the National Science Foundation and contractor Risk Management International intend to remove the mercury and then demolish and grade the site, but that the site’s historic buildings and village could be repurposed once the mercury is removed.
Why it matters: Sunspot, established in 1947, includes observatories and a village that hosts education programs and draws visitors. Heidi Sanchez, who runs the visitor center and serves as president of the Sunspot Community Center, told commissioners the site supports outreach to schools and regional partners and brings tourism revenue to the area.
Sanchez said the visitor center drives structured outreach to more than 60 schools and youth groups, hosts summer camps and eclipse programs, and reported roughly 2,500 annual visitors to general programs and 3,400 participants in outreach programming. She warned that demolition of the whole site, not just the damaged telescope, would eliminate those community and economic benefits.
The presenters argued that once the mercury is removed the environmental hazard would be resolved and the site could be rehabilitated for hands‑on solar physics education, small telescope operations, conferences and RV astronomy tourism. Dulan said other buildings on site — including the Evans facility and Hilltop Dome — could be returned to limited operations with investment.
What the presenters asked: Friends of Sunspot asked the commission to express support for preserving the site and to help convene state, federal and philanthropic partners to pursue a community-driven reuse model rather than allowing NSF to demolish the entire campus.
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff and presenters clarifying questions about the timeline for mercury removal and NSF’s record of decision. Presenters said weekly agency coordination meetings are underway and that mercury removal had been discussed for a fall start; they urged the city to signal interest to potential partners while removal is planned. The commission did not take a formal vote on the preservation proposal during the meeting.
