From Common Ground Rising
STOP PROJECT RANGER
Hypersonic Missile & Rocket Facility
Rio Rancho Estates
Public Meeting: Tuesday, October 21 · 6:30 p.m.
Cielo Azul Elementary School Cafeteria
3804 Shiloh Road NE (Off Unser & King Blvd)
What’s Happening
A company called Castelion Corporation proposes to build a hypersonic missile/rocket manufacturing and testing facility (“Project Ranger”) on New Mexico State Land Office property in Sandoval County, roughly 3 miles west of Northern Meadows and 4 miles northwest of Camino Crossings, North Hills, and Sierra Norte.
This project poses serious environmental, health, and safety risks for the entire Middle Rio Grande Valley.
Environmental and Health Impacts
🚱 Water Contamination Risks
Rocket propellants such as hydrazine, ammonium perchlorate, and aluminum powders contaminate groundwater.
Perchlorate affects thyroid function at parts-per-billion concentrations.
Nearby Rio Rancho aquifer recharge zones could be permanently damaged.
Similar contamination occurred at White Sands Missile Range and Hill AFB (UT), where cleanup has taken decades.
[Also, see Santa Susana Field Laboratory contamination resulting in contaminated groundwater and wells, contaminated soil, and the illness and death of residents, and state and federal denials, cover-ups, collusion, and failures to clean up, affecting Simi Valley, California, and neighboring communities
https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/the-santa-susana-field-laboratory/
https://parentsagainstssfl.com/]
Relevant laws: Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. §300f et seq.); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
🌬️ Air Pollution & Public Health
Test firings emit hydrochloric acid, aluminum oxide, and fine particulates that worsen asthma and cardiovascular disease.
Manufacturing releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides regulated under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq.).
Stratospheric rocket emissions contribute to ozone depletion and climate forcing.
🔊 Noise & Vibration
Engine testing can exceed 150 decibels, disturbing sleep, wildlife, and damaging property foundations.
Low-frequency vibration travels miles across mesa terrain.
🔥 Safety & Emergency Risks
Propellant explosions or accidental ignition could trigger massive fire and toxic plumes.
County lacks specialized hazmat response and containment infrastructure.
Similar incidents at Aerojet Sacramento and Thiokol Utah led to Superfund cleanups.
Relevant laws: Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA); Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
🌍 Wider Regional and Climate Impacts
Hypersonic weapons testing worldwide (e.g., Edwards AFB CA, Eglin FL, and Tullahoma TN) has left toxic residue, fuel spills, and PFAS-contaminated firefighting foam sites.
The U.S. military is the single largest institutional greenhouse-gas emitter; each hypersonic test releases tons of CO₂ equivalents.
Facility could draw millions of gallons of cooling and process water, worsening drought and water-rights conflicts.
⚖️ Legal and Ethical Concerns
NEPA (42 U.S.C. §4321 et seq.) requires a Full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before any federal or state action.
State Land Office leases must comply with New Mexico Environmental Improvement Act and Water Quality Control Act.
“National-security exemptions” cannot override public-health protections.
Local governments may demand conditional-use permits with strict environmental review.
Economic & Community Costs
“High-tech jobs” are typically short-term and specialized; long-term benefits flow out of state.
Property values drop near explosive-testing sites.
Cleanup costs from contamination usually fall on taxpayers, not contractors.
Key Questions for the Public Meeting
- Has a NEPA Environmental Impact Statement been initiated?
- What chemicals, fuels, and propellants will be used or stored onsite?
- How much water will the facility consume daily and from which aquifer?
- What is the blast-radius safety zone and how will the public be notified of tests?
- Will Sandoval County fire and emergency services receive federal funding for hazmat preparedness?
- How will hazardous waste and perchlorate-bearing materials be disposed of?
- What monitoring will be done for air, soil, and groundwater contamination—and who will oversee it?
- What is Castelion Corporation’s ownership and contracting history with the DOD?
- Will the state lease require environmental insurance or cleanup bonding?
- Why was this sited near residential communities instead of existing military ranges like White Sands?
📢 Our Demand
➡️ Suspend all approvals until a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and public health risk assessment are completed.
➡️ Protect community water, air, and safety.
➡️ Hold Castelion Corp and the State Land Office accountable to residents, not defense contractors.
Together we can say:
“No Hypersonic BOMB Factory
Protect People, Water, and Future Generations.”
City announcement: there was no information given from the city about the project, just the meeting announcement
Public Mtg. – Proposed Hypersonic Missile/Rocket Manufacturing & Testing Facility (Project Ranger)
A public meeting is taking place regarding a proposed hypersonic missile/rocket manufacturing and testing facility, referred to as “Project Ranger.”
The facility would be located approximately 3 miles west of the Northern Meadows community and approximately 4 miles northwest of the Camino Crossings, North Hills and Sierra Norte communities in Rio Rancho.
The public meeting will occur on Tuesday, 10/21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cielo Azul Elementary School cafeteria (3804 Shiloh Road NE – accessed by traveling Unser Blvd. to King Blvd.).
At the public meeting, those associated with the project will provide information and answer questions from the public. Castelion Corporation is behind the project, which would be located on NM State Land Office property in Sandoval County.
Anyone interested in challenging this should show up to the meeting Tuesday evening
Free The Sky 