Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 100 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
April 25, 2014
Management, safety cited for radiation release
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A radiation release from the federal gover nment’s underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico was the result of a slow erosion of the safety culture at the 15-year-old site, which was evident in the bungled response to the emergency, federal investigators said in a report released Thursday. The report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Investigation Board cited poor management, ineffective mainte-
nance and a lack of proper training and oversight at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. The report also found that much of the operation failed to meet standards for a nuclear facility. The series of shortcomings is similar to those found in a probe of the truck fire in the half-miledeep mine just nine days before the Feb. 14 radiation release that shuttered the plant indefinitely. “While a striking indictment of the safety culture
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of WIPP, the report is a major step in the recovery and reopening of the site,” said Congressman Steve Pearce (R-District 2) in a news release Thursday afternoon. “The report clearly shows that immediate work needs to be done to improve safety at the plant. This is a vital step in the process of recovery for the community and plant workers,” Pearce said. “The report depicts a site, a contractor and a DOE that was ill-prepared for
any hazardous or emergency situation — let alone a radiological event,” Pearce said. “The contractor and DOE must make the recommended corrective actions before operations can or should continue at the site. I expect the DOE and the contractor to work diligently, to update, revise, and add safety and management policies that dictate daily operations at the site.”
Given the latest findings, watchdog Don Hancock said the leak that contami-
nated 21 workers with low doses of radiation in midFebruary was a “best-case scenario.” “Everything conspired for the least bad event to occur, based on what we know — and there is still a lot we don’t know,” he said. Last month, the head of the Defense Nuclear Safety Board, which has staf f monitoring the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, called the accidents “near misses.” Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Chairman Peter Winokur said that for
Police investigate shooting, homicide RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Federal judge denies defense request in email scandal case
Lawrence Foster Photo
Authorities investigate a shooting that occurred at an Allsup’s convenience store in south Roswell, Thursday afternoon.
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A federal judge dealt a potential setback Thursday to a defense strategy of Gov. Susana Martinez’s former campaign manager, who is charged with hijacking the campaign’s email system after Martinez took office. U.S. District Judge William Johnson denied requests by Jamie Estrada’s attorneys to force the prosecution to provide information regarding the Martinez administration’s awarding of a lease that allowed a larger casino at the state fairgrounds. The judge said Estrada’s request involved “largely irrelevant material.” Estrada’s lawyer, Zachary Ives, didn’t immediately respond to telephone and email requests for comment. The judge also rejected Estrada’s request for infor-
Courtesy Photo
Pam V. Richardson, a Republican, recently announced her candidacy for the New Mexico House of Representatives District 54.
six days after the fire, no underground air monitors were operational, meaning that if that system had failed when the leak occurred Feb. 14, “or if the release event had occurred three days earlier, the release of radioactive material from the aboveground mine exhaust would have been orders of magnitude larger.” DOE Accident Investigation Board Chairman Ted Wyka previewed the find-
An unidentified man is dead after police officers responded to a report of a shooting in south Roswell on Thursday afternoon. Police were dispatched to the 5800 block of South Main Street in reference to a shooting, where they found one unidentified male who was deceased, according to a news release. There is a suspect in the shooting, said Sabrina Morales, public information liaison for the Roswell Police Department, but no one had been identified or charged in the shooting as of Thursday evening. “There were a lot of peo-
See WIPP, Page A3
ple out there, and there are a lot of people to interview,” Morales said. “This happened right out there in the middle of the day.” Police say the shooting happened at about 2:20 in the afternoon.
Detectives from the Roswell Police Department are investigating the shooting as a homicide.
North and southbound lanes on South Main Street were blocked to traffic.
If anyone has information pertaining to this case, please contact the police department at 624-6770 or Crime Stoppers 1-888-5948477 immediately.
RHS students explore Eastern
mation about the reactions of the gover nor and her staff related to hijacked email that was publicly leaked by administration critics. Johnson called it a “novel theory” that the information could be material to Estrada’s guilt or innocence. Estrada has pleaded not guilty to charges of intercepting email in the campaign account and making false statements to federal investigators. Jury selection for his trial is scheduled to start July 15. In making a pretrial request for documents and other information, Estrada’s lawyers contended that Martinez and her allies pressed for the federal prosecution of Estrada to deflect attention from possible corruption in the handling of the fairgrounds casino deal and minimize any political fall-
out for the governor, who is a rising star in national GOP circles.
Pam V. Richardson, a Republican fr om north Eddy County, has announced her candidacy for the New Mexico House of Representatives District 54. The House seat is held by Republican Bill Gray of Artesia, who is not seeking r e-election. District 54 includes Eddy County and the cities of Artesia and Carlsbad. Richardson is a Pecos Valley native, bor n and raised in Dexter on the family far m that was homesteaded in 1906 by her Dutch immigrant
grandparents. She and her husband of 40 years, Rick Richardson, have been selfemployed owners and operators of Planter Box Nursery and Bugman Weed and Pest Control for more than 39 years. They have thr ee childr en, Katie Owens and family of Corpus Christi, Texas; Cody Richardson and family of LaVer nia, Texas; and Natalie Greenberg and family of Houston. Richar dson and her family are lifelong members of the Presbyterian
Church. Self-employment has allowed Richardson a life of community service. She has served as a precinct worker and volunteer for 10 years; as an Eddy County Republican Party delegate; as a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 15 years; a community Bible study children’s teacher for 15 years; Community Bible Study teen teaching director for six years; and completed lay pastor training in 2007. Richardson states her sole purpose and intention to equally represent the
people of New Mexico springs fr om a deep appreciation and firsthand knowledge of a hard-working, self-sustaining people. The obligation and necessary duty that this knowledge brings to bear is one to be placed first and above any agenda. Richardson feels Southeaster n New Mexico is blessed to have one of the most unique and diversified economies in the state. “We have str ong and viable ranching and farming operations, the ever growing dairy industry,
• JIM SNELL • CLIFFORD RAY TICE • KENNETH RAY QUALLS SR.
• FRANK HENRY ALVARADO
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................B6 ENTERTAINMENT .....A9 FINANCIAL ..............B5
The reactions of the gover nor and her aides to leaked email, according to Estrada’s lawyers, would reveal their “true motives” in pushing for the prosecution. But the judge called it “absurd” that Martinez had any control over bringing charges against Estrada, particularly because she’s a Republican and the U.S. Justice Department is part of Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration.
The judge also said the court “has no interest in devoting time and resources on matters that are neither relevant nor material to the conduct charged in the indictment.”
Mark Wilson Photo
Roswell High seniors tour the Xcel Energy solar array on the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell campus during 'Explore Eastern,' Thursday. Explore Eastern is a recruitment fair employed by the university and high school seniors from the Roswell area had a chance to visualize their higher education possibilities.
Richardson seeks District 54 seat in state House
HIGH 92 LOW 57
TODAY’S FORECAST
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
potash mining, wind and solar applications, oil and gas explorations and production, federal government installations, and cultural advancements, all due to the diligent work of its citizens,” Richardson said. “Because of this diversity, Southeast New Mexico can lead us all into a future of greater prosperity and economic stability.” Richar dson said she humbly asks for the public’s support in the upcoming June 3 primary and the Nov. 4 general election.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A9 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION ..................A8
OPINION .................A4 SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10