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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO

CITIZEN ACTION NEW MEXICO,

Appellant,

v.

NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT,

Appellee.

APPELLANTS DOCETIN! STATEMENT

CIVIL APPEAL OF THE APPROVAL ISSUED "# THE NEW MEXICO

ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT ON $ANUAR# %, &'(), OF THE MIXED

WASTE LANDFILL LON!*TERM MONITORIN! AND MAINTENANCE PLAN.

Pursuant to Rules 12208 and 12-601 of the Rules of Appellant

Procedure, by and through its attorney Robert Mceill, Appellant

!iti"en Action e# Me$ico offers the follo#ing %oc&eting 'tate(ent in

this (atter)

NATURE OF THE PROCEEDIN!

*his is an appeal fro( the e# Me$ico +niron(ental %epart(ent

.M+%/ anuary 8, 201, approal of the Mi$ed 3aste 4andfill the

.M34/ 4ong-*er( Monitoring and Maintenance Plan, March 2012, 'andia

ational 4aboratories .'andia/, +PA 5% M780110718 93:-'andia-12-

00; the .4*MMP/< *he M+% approal that is the sub=ect of this

appeal is an action by an ad(inistratie entity #ithin the (eaning of

Rule 12-601 MRAue?s a>uifer that receied radioactie and ha"ardous

che(ical #aste fro( 17 to 188< *he M34 #astes are being released

into Albu>uer>ue?s ground#ater and pose an i((inent and substantial

endanger(ent to public health and the eniron(ent< +$hibit 1, +ric

uttall, Ph

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of the selected re(edyuest a delay in the

production of the initial fie-year report< o#, ho#eer, al(ost

four years hae passed since the dirt coer #as installed in 200,

and 'andia has still not prepared any report reealuating the

feasibility of e$caation and analy"ing the effectieness of the dirt

coer< Allo#ing 'andia the broadest possible interpretation of the

deadline for the initial fie-year report and the supporting data,

(odeling and analysis re>uired by the inal @rder, a fie-year report

should be produced no later than May 201< the .9a"ardous 3aste Act/, and the e# Me$ico

9a"ardous 3aste Manage(ent Regulations 20

that is e>uialent to, consistent #ith, and no less stringent than

the ederal 9a"ardous 3aste Progra(< As the ederal progra( changes,

states (ust change their progra(s and as& +PA to authori"e the

changesuer>ue-:ernalillo !ountyLround#ater Adisory :oard< *he report should bepresented in a public foru(, and the publicshould hae an opportunity to ealuate and

co((ent on data presented< *he report need not beof the (agnitude of a full-scale R5 or !M' M+%staff should deter(ine #hat should be included,#ith input fro( 'andia and the public< +(phasisaddeduires that 'andia update the ate and *ransport Model eery

fie years

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proide >uarterly progress reports to the M+%uires co(pilationof a report that re-ealuates the feasibility ofe$caation and analy"es the continuedeffectieness of the selected re(edy eery fieyears< !onstruction of the M34 alternatie coer#ill be docu(ented in the !orrectie Measures5(ple(entation Report #hich #ill be sub(itted tothe M+% for approal< +(phasis addeduer>ue :ernalillo !ounty 3ater Protection

Adisory :oard the .3PA:/ to the M+% dated ebruary 2, 2012,

recites its reco((endation fro( 2001 and 2007 for 7-year reie#suire(ent until the 4*MMP has been finali"edand approed< 9o#eer, gien the re(edystipulated in the inal @rder, the potential forground#ater conta(ination of a serious nature

lo# probability but high conse>uence, and theagreed-upon need for continued igilance, (oni-toring, (odeling, and periodic re-ealuation, alegiti(ate case can be (ade that the cloc& on thefie-year reports should hae started #hen theinal @rder #as issued in 2007, #hich #ould haere>uired the first fie-year report in 2010< 5nany case, nearly fie years hae no# passed sincethe coer #as installed in 200

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for delay of the re>uired !ondition 7 reealuation of the feasibility

of e$caation and analysis of the continued effectieness of the dirt

coer< 'ection

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dangers that the fie-year reports #ere e$pressly intended to

preent< *he approal also eades the re>uire(ent that the public be

afforded an opportunity to co((ent regarding releant public health

and safety concerns related to per(it (odificationuested a public hearing regarding

the re>uested (odification of the per(it that #ould be acco(plished

by the 2012 4*MMP< o public hearing #as conducted, ho#eer, and the

2012 4*MMP included a proision in 'ection 1

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inal @rderuency, etc

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Appellant !iti"en Action #as una#are of any (odification in the

fie-year report due date until M+% issued the March, 2F, 2012,

4*MMP< *he issuance of the 4*MMP in March 2012 pro(pted the 5PRA

re>uest on the part of !iti"en Actionuire(ent in the inal @rder

is consistent #ith the re>uire(ent of R!RA for land disposal

facilities< 0 !R C 2;0

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and transport (odel is incorrect and the ground#ater (onitoring

net#or& is defectie and inade>uate to detect conta(ination of the

ground#ater< urther, the ground#ater (onitoring net#or& #as &no#n

at all ti(es to the present to be defectie to (a&e the re(edy

decision< +$hibit , Affidait of Robert Lil&eson, Registered

Leologist

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Hoe(ber 2007I Mixed Waste Landfill Corrective Measures

Implementation "lan dated anuary F1, 2006, the .*echla# Report/,

reealed nu(erous deficiencies in the construction and (onitoring of

the dirt coer and the long-ter( protection of the ground#ater, as

#ell as the co(puter codes for the fate and transport (odel< @n

@ctober 1, 200;, the e# Me$ico +niron(ent %epart(ent

unsuccessfully sued Appellant !iti"en Action in an effort to #ithhold

the *ech4a# Report fro( !iti"en Action #hich had re>uested the report

in an 5PRA re>uest< +$hibit 10 and +$hibit , Lil&eson Affidaituiring 'andia to .prepare a report

eery 7 years re-ealuating the feasibility of e$caation and

analy"ing the continued effectieness of the selected re(edy,/

re>uire a distinction bet#een the deadline for the initial fie-year

report regarding .the feasibility of e$caation/ and the deadline for

.analy"ing the continued effectieness of the selected re(edy,/ i

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for (odification of the conditions of the inal @rderE

6< 5s M+% re>uired to re>uest a #ritten notification fro(

'andia of its intent to (odify the inal @rder and then gie notice

and opportunity to the public for co((ent and reie# prior to

approing the 4*MMPE

;< 3as M+% re>uired to proide public notice and an

opportunity for a public hearing prior to (odifying the inal @rder

!ondition 7 before approing the 2012 4*MMPE

8< %id M+% gie appropriate notice to the public of the

(odification of inal @rder !ondition 7 #ith the @ctober 1, 2011,

otice of Approal for the !M5 Report #here the !M5 Report did not

contain (ention of the (odificationE

< %id the M+% hae a duty to gie notice and opportunity to

the public for changes to the ground#ater (onitoring net#or& prior to

approing the 4*MMPE

10< 3as the action of M+%, in (odifying inal @rder !ondition

7 by its approal of the 4*MMP, arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of

discretion, in the conte$t of state(ents to the contrary on the part

of the Ad(inistratie 9earing @fficer, M+%, 'andia, the A:! 3PA:,

and the decision of this !ourt in approing the inal @rderE

11< 'hould the M+% be estopped fro( (odifying the inal @rder

!ondition 7 after its representations to the public that the fie-

year reie# #ould occur .eery 7 years,/ absent language in the inal

@rder authori"ing such delay and (odificationE

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12< 3as the (odification by M+% of its inal @rder fie-year

reporting re>uire(ent consistent #ith federal and state la# R!RA and

the e# Me$ico 9a"ardous 3aste ActE

1F< 5s the M+% continuing decision not to enforce !ondition 7

of the inal @rder and to delay co(pliance #ith !ondition 7 until

201 consistent #ith the clear #ording of the inal @rderE

1< %oes substantial eidence support a finding that the

ground#ater (onitoring net#or& at the M34 can detect conta(inationE

17< %oes substantial eidence support a finding that the dirt

coer #ill be sufficiently protectie to preent ha"ardous #aste

escaping fro( the M34 to the ground#aterE

16< %oes substantial eidence support the M+% decision that

inal @rder !ondition 7 does not i(pose a re>uire(ent that .'andia

shall prepare a report eery 7 years, re-ealuating the feasibility

of e$caation and analy"ing the continued effectieness of the

selected re(edy/ so as to protect the public health, safety, and the

eniron(entE

1;< Aside fro( the M+% approal of the 4*MMP on anuary 8,

201, does 'andia hae a duty pursuant to inal @rder !ondition 7 to

prepare the initial fie-year reealuation report at the present

ti(eE

18< 5s the M34 a .regulated unit/ as defined by 0 !R 26uire(ent of proiding a

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!losure Plan and Post !losure Plan as part of the 'andia 9a"ardous

3aste Per(itE

20< 9as ha"ardous #aste escaped fro( the M34, thus re>uiring

re(edial action on the part of 'andia in accordance #ith R!RA and the

e# Me$ico 9a"ardous 3aste ActE

LIST OF AUTHORITIES WHICH SUPPORT

THE CONTENTIONS OF THE APPELLANT

1. *he inal @rder