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Stop Forever WIPP- Plutonium Trail Caravans
The Plutonium Trail Caravan is a traveling public-education and community-action tour dedicated to raising awareness about the proposed expansion of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the long-term risks of transporting plutonium-bearing waste through our communities. Hosted by Stop Forever WIPP, the caravan brings together advocates, experts, and local residents to share vital information, highlight environmental and safety concerns, and strengthen statewide solidarity for responsible nuclear-waste policy.
Through public events, storytelling, art, and accessible science, the Plutonium Trail Caravan empowers New Mexicans to understand what "Forever WIPP" would mean for our state—expanded waste volumes, extended operations far beyond the original agreement, and increased transportation of radioactive materials across public highways. Our goal is simple: protect our people, our lands, and our future.
Join us on the trail as we build a safer, more transparent, and more just path forward for all.
On April 26,2025 your strong community support as the 2nd Annual Plutonium Trail Caravan traveled along a portion of the WIPP route in Northern New Mexico made this event a great success.
Especially exciting was the positive community response at the Las Vegas Farmers’ Market and a great interview on the local radio station by Joaquin Garcia of Communities for Clean Water.
Also a bravo to Chris Harrell for music both at the Farmers’ Market and at Lamy that kept people’s toes tapping as they sang along to familiar songs with new nuclear protest verses.
Handing out flyers and getting petition signatures at Romeroville was fun and educational for those on the Caravan. We hadn’t expected much response at the small gas station, but in fact, drivers were happy to sign and many already knew about WIPP. We realized that gas stations and truck stops are a great place to talk about dangers on the WIPP route as these are the people who actually drive the route, both locals and people from other states.
At Lamy, Cynthia Wheeler, of the 285 Alliance and Fire on the Mountain, gave a clear and inspiring educational talk, and emphasized the fire danger threatening the 2500 drums of WIPP Legacy Waste still sitting in fabric tents in the middle of a wildfire zone at Area G at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. (See maps of the massive burn area around LANL at FireOnTheMountain.xyz)
Throughout the day dozens of people signed our petition telling the Governor to protect New Mexico from becoming the nation’s nuclear waste sacrifice area.
Post-Caravan Actions
On April 30th, you again made a powerful impact at the DOE’s WIPP Community Forum with an unexpectedly large turnout online. Your questions and comments held the DOE and WIPP contractor SIMCO accountable as they dodged questions and gave their usual non-answers.
You can keep the positive energy going by downloading the Stop Forever WIPP petition to the Governor and getting your friends, family and neighbors to sign it. The petition is available in both Spanish or English, at the link below. When your page is filled out, scan or mail it back to the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition for presentation to the Governor.
Your ongoing support means together we can protect New Mexico from becoming a nuclear sacrifice zone. Donate to show your support at the link below:
You Made the 2nd Annual Plutonium Trail Caravan a Big Success
April 6th The First Annual Plutonium Trail Caravan.
On a brisk and blustery Saturday morning, a spirited convoy of enthusiasts embarked on a journey unlike any other – the inaugural Plutonium Trail Caravan, commencing at the majestic Camel Rock geological formation. Traversing through the heart of Santa Fe and El Dorado, this caravan made memorable pit stops along the way, culminating in a grand finale at the historic Lamy Train Station.The Lamy Train Station is where Oppenheimer and fellow scientists got off the train, and drove to Los Alamos where they developed the atomic bomb.
Fuelled by a shared concern for the growing threat of plutonium-contaminated radioactive waste transportation from LANL to WIPP, participants engaged fervently with the public throughout the day. The echoes of their voices, harmonizing satirical lyrics penned by the New Mexico Raging Grannies to familiar tunes, reverberated with passion and purpose.
But beneath the melody lies a tale of broken promises and systemic deceit. The Department of Energy's failure to meet the cleanup deadline and its plans to extend WIPP's operations until 2083 have ignited a fervor of activism and awareness. Myrriah Gómez, esteemed author of "Nuclear Nuevo México," underscored the urgent need to educate the younger generation about the perils of the nuclear weapons complex and its repercussions on New Mexicans.
As DOE and LANL seek to entice future workers from our schools, the grim reality of rising injuries and radiation exposure among current workers casts a shadow over their recruitment efforts. Yet, amidst these challenges, hope flickers like a beacon on the horizon.
The groundwork for the Second Annual Plutonium Trail Caravan of 2025 is already underway. Join hands with the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition to be part of this vital movement. Let your voice be heard, your actions felt, and together, let us forge a future free from the specter of nuclear peril. Visit stopforeverwipp.org and become a catalyst for change today.
