New Mexico Wild’s Garrett VeneKlasen points at the Norton Substation, which provides a portion of LANL’s power. An electric hum can be heard from the top of the Caja del Rio plateau. (Photo by Bryce Dix / KUNM News)
The U.S. Forest Service has now put their seal of approval on a controversial transmission project spanning portions of the sacred and historically significant Caja Del Rio plateau .
Tuesday’s draft decision comes as tribes call for a comprehensive study of the power line’s cultural impacts.
Los Alamos National Laboratory wants to construct a 115kV power line that would span parts of White Rock Canyon and the Caja plateau in the name of sufficiently powering “national security.” It would be the third such line in the area.
Specifically, LANL said the energy boost will power a new supercomputer for nuclear isotopes research and advanced climate modeling.
The Forest Service found that the project has “no significant impact” on the area’s environmental and cultural resources, according to the report. The agency’s findings have been delayed several times – leaving advocates, Native communities, and residents alike waiting with bated breath for almost a year.