ANTONITO —Since 2009, Conejos Clean Water (CCW) has stood guard over an area badly in need of environmental help.
According to Board Member Maury Grimm, CCW was established and incorporated as a 501(C)3 in 2010 and has already taken some great strides and won some battles in the realms of environmental and social justice.
That success has improved life not only for Antonito, but for Conejos County and the entire San Luis Valley, according to Grimm, who recounted CCW's story.
 
Early success
CCW’s early success came under the leadership of Andrea Trujillo Guajardo, the organization’s first executive director.
“There was radioactive, hazardous and toxic waste being transported through the Valley and being stored in Antonito under the cover of darkness,” Guajardo said.
That darkness meant community members would learn of the problem in a round-about way.
 Antonito Mayor Mike Trujillo and Conejos County Commissioner Joe Maestas shared their knowledge, but Guajardo admits she found out from her brother-in-law, who forwarded an article from the Pueblo Chieftain that discussed the waste being transported to Antonito.
In November 2009, Conejos County residents noticed activity a quarter mile from the town limits of Antonito, where radioactive, hazardous and toxic waste was transferred from flatbed semi-trucks, using a crane to nuclear gondola cars.
The operation was being performed within 250 feet of the Rio San Antonio, a tributary to the Rio Grande.
“At that time, citizens only knew that there were black train cars, flatbed semi-trucks and a crane transferring large and full, dirty white bags from the flatbed semi-trucks to the train cars,” says a report that allowed CCW to secure funding through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Environmental Justice Small Grant Competition.
“No one from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), EnergySolutions, Department of Energy nor the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad informed the impacted communities in Conejos County,” Guajardo points out.
It took two years of discussions, initiated through community members including Alice Trujillo, Michael A. Trujillo, Michele Trujillo, Aaron Abeyta, Martha Abeyta, Alfonzo Abeyta, Demetrio Valdez, Olive Valdez, Lauren Karlskin, Melinda Winters, Richard Winters, Andrea Guajardo and Mikey Trujillo .
“Consensus was built through community forums, land canvassing, petitions, letter writing and public comment,” said Guajardo. “And now Conejos County residents are protected from one radioactive, hazardous, and toxic waste stream generated at LANL.”

Baseline data now in placeBy SYLVIA LOBATO
ANTONITO —Since 2009, Conejos Clean Water (CCW) has stood guard over an area badly in need of environmental help.
According to Board Member Maury Grimm, CCW was established and incorporated as a 501(C)3 in 2010 and has already taken some great strides and won some battles in the realms of environmental and social justice.
That success has improved life not only for Antonito, but for Conejos County and the entire San Luis Valley, according to Grimm, who recounted CCW's story.
 
Early success
CCW’s early success came under the leadership of Andrea Trujillo Guajardo, the organization’s first executive director.
“There was radioactive, hazardous and toxic waste being transported through the Valley and being stored in Antonito under the cover of darkness,” Guajardo said.
That darkness meant community members would learn of the problem in a round-about way.
 Antonito Mayor Mike Trujillo and Conejos County Commissioner Joe Maestas shared their knowledge, but Guajardo admits she found out from her brother-in-law, who forwarded an article from the Pueblo Chieftain that discussed the waste being transported to Antonito.
In November 2009, Conejos County residents noticed activity a quarter mile from the town limits of Antonito, where radioactive, hazardous and toxic waste was transferred from flatbed semi-trucks, using a crane to nuclear gondola cars.
The operation was being performed within 250 feet of the Rio San Antonio, a tributary to the Rio Grande.
“At that time, citizens only knew that there were black train cars, flatbed semi-trucks and a crane transferring large and full, dirty white bags from the flatbed semi-trucks to the train cars,” says a report that allowed CCW to secure funding through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Environmental Justice Small Grant Competition.
“No one from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), EnergySolutions, Department of Energy nor the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad informed the impacted communities in Conejos County,” Guajardo points out.
It took two years of discussions, initiated through community members including Alice Trujillo, Michael A. Trujillo, Michele Trujillo, Aaron Abeyta, Martha Abeyta, Alfonzo Abeyta, Demetrio Valdez, Olive Valdez, Lauren Karlskin, Melinda Winters, Richard Winters, Andrea Guajardo and Mikey Trujillo .
“Consensus was built through community forums, land canvassing, petitions, letter writing and public comment,” said Guajardo. “And now Conejos County residents are protected from one radioactive, hazardous, and toxic waste stream generated at LANL.”

Baseline data now in place Baseline data for ambient air, water, soil and health are now in place prior to the federal agencies issuing official decisions on two proposed actions. First, a Department of Energy Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Low-Level Radioactive Waste; and second, DEIS for Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility in Los Alamos.
“Past and present work promotes Environmental Justice and our focus is viewing the environment as a community where we live, work, play and learn. Minimizing impacts to human health in the built, social, political and natural environment,” Guajardo continues.

Solar array
“CCW has been involved with solar energy zones, transmission, the Health Environment Launch Project, Low Altitude Tactical Navigation, Greater Than Class C Waste, the Headwaters Conference, illegal dumping and recycling, hydraulic fracturing and building community-based partnerships, in addition to our current initiatives.”
Because the State of Colorado is one of the few states in the country that has Community Generated Solar legislation, the Town of Antonito was dedicated to developing a renewable energy park during Mike Trujillo’s administration.
Guajardo explains, “this project took four years to develop. We partnered with many organizations including Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Colorado Working Landscapes, Community Energy, and Xcel Community Solar Rewards Program.”
The 500 kilowatt array is located on land near the wastewater treatment facility and 75 kilowatts of this array is allocated to low-income subscribers.
“This is a responsible renewable energy development that legislatively is distributed generation, less than 30 megawatts,” Guajado continues.
“The impact to the natural environment was minimized since the property was already degenerated. The political environment was positively impacted since our local leaders became familiar with state legislative policies that can benefit communities and the environment was improved since there was an illegal dumpsite at the wastewater treatment facility that was remediated during the course of this project.”
The town of Antonito receives a lease payment, bill credits and both the town and the county receive property tax during the 20-year life of the capital asset.
Subscribers receive a percentage of bill credits.
“The social environment has a stream of sustainable revenues in the form of lease payment, property taxes, and subscriber bill credits,” Guajardo adds.
In March of 2015, Conejos Clean Water appointed a new Executive Director, Justin Garoutte, and new board members, Reyes Garcia and Maury Grimm. Andrea moved to another agency, but the work continues. “As a grass roots, community based organization, focusing on public health by mitigating impacts in the built, political, social and natural environment, I am hopeful with our first transition of leadership complete,” says Guajardo. “We started in reactive mode, and I feel we have the infrastructure in place to protect our community while working proactively to achieve environmental justice.”
For more information about Conejos Clean Water, visit http://www.cccwater.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/conejoscleanwater/?fref=ts or by phone: 719-580-9280. You can also visit their office at 611 Main Ave, Antonito, CO.

(Much of this information was taken from materials provided by Maury Grimm)