Activist launches legal challenge to Sandoval County missile facility

A longtime New Mexico environmental activist is raising funds for legal action to halt a controversial hypersonic missile manufacturing facility approved in Sandoval County, alleging procedural violations and safety concerns.

Elaine Cimino, who has lived in New Mexico for more than 30 years, launched a petition and GoFundMe campaign this month seeking to stop Project Ranger, a planned 1,000-acre manufacturing campus by California-based defense contractor Castelion. The petition has garnered 202 signatures, while the fundraising campaign has raised $590 toward legal fees.

The coalition behind the effort, Common Ground Rising, alleges multiple violations in the approval process, including failure to conduct required public hearings, failure to conduct environmental review and violations of the state’s Open Meetings Act.

“This project operates without active federal, state, or municipal oversight, relying instead on self-certification by a private weapons manufacturer,” Cimino wrote in a 10-page objection filed with the Rio Rancho City Council.

Rapid approval process

The Sandoval County Commission approved a $125 million industrial revenue bond and Local Economic Development Act package for the facility in October. The county and city of Rio Rancho signed an intergovernmental agreement on Nov. 1, committing $1 million in city funds and $4 million in county funds, with an additional $5 million from the state.

Rio Rancho approved its contribution in a 5-1 vote on Nov. 13, but only after adding safeguards requiring formal agreements on emergency response and road construction before releasing funds.

Castelion officially announced Nov. 17 that it had selected Sandoval County for the facility, which will be located about 3 miles west of Rio Rancho on unincorporated county land. The company, co-founded by former SpaceX employees, expects to break ground in early 2026.

Safety and environmental concerns

Critics have raised concerns about potential risks to public health and the environment. Technical documents reviewed by the Sandoval Signpost showed emergency explosion scenarios could affect structures up to 5 miles away, with 5,933 buildings within that radius. The site sits 2.9 miles from Rio Rancho’s Northern Meadows neighborhood.

Cimino cited concerns about ammonium perchlorate, a toxic oxidizer used in rocket motors that can contaminate groundwater, and noted that no baseline groundwater, air or soil testing had been conducted before approval.

She also warned that roughly 24 percent of Rio Rancho homeowners hold FHA-insured mortgages and could face rate increases of 20 to 100 percent if the area is reclassified as a high-fire-risk zone. She cited a wildfire report estimating potential public losses between $515 million and $2.5 billion from a wildfire or detonation incident.

Rio Rancho Fire Chief James Wenzel outlined significant emergency response concerns, stating that in the event of an incident at the facility, crews could remain on scene for 18 hours or longer. The facility’s developers have requested exemptions from fire sprinkler and hydrant requirements in hazardous buildings, citing Department of Defense standards.

Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson defended the project’s safety profile, emphasizing regulatory oversight from state, federal, and Department of Defense agencies. 

“This is going to be one of the safest activities that could take place on those pieces of property that provide those types of jobs,” he said.

The facility would manufacture solid rocket booster motors and conduct static motor tests in controlled settings, but would not synthesize chemicals on-site or conduct flight testing. 

All flight testing would occur at Department of Defense ranges or certified FAA-approved facilities, with many rockets transported to White Sands Missile Range.

County officials emphasize that Castelion would not be making warheads. 

“They’re not making bombs,” Johnson said. “What they’re manufacturing on site is the motor.”

Sandia National Laboratories conducted a comprehensive hazard analysis using Defense Explosive Safety Regulation standards to model worst-case explosive scenarios. Their analysis found that the proposed explosives would create danger to buildings within approximately a half-mile radius. 

Sandia experts concluded that even under worst-case assumptions, the facility’s location “likely mitigates explosives hazards and potential impacts to the citizens of Rio Rancho,” with the main exception being potential broken windows in the largest events. The site appears to be “well-situated in family with similar industry-specific locations scattered across the nation.”

Static fire tests would generate noise comparable to a vacuum cleaner at Northern Meadows’ distance, occurring during working hours for roughly 30 seconds at a time, according to Castelion officials.

Economic development arguments

Supporters have framed the project as critical for national security and economic development. The facility is projected to generate more than $650 million in economic output over the next decade and create more than 300 jobs with average salaries of $100,000, according to the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

State Sen. Jay Block, a retired Air Force officer who lives in Rio Rancho, compared the situation to the Sputnik moment of 1957, saying the country is “severely, significantly falling behind the Chinese and the Russians.”

Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Schalow noted that Rio Rancho’s median income has increased from $54,000 to $85,000 since the last census, partly due to residents who work at nearby national laboratories.

Johnson expressed enthusiasm for the proposal. 

“It’s a unicorn. Where are you going to find a low water use manufacturer that brings in 300 $100K jobs?” he said, calling it something the community needs that would benefit Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, and the entire west side of the metro area.

Legal challenge plans

The coalition plans to file a motion to compel production of the full administrative record, according to the GoFundMe page. Funds raised will cover attorney retainer and filing fees, court documentation costs, public record requests and administrative support.

“At a time when many in our community are already suffering from loss of jobs and healthcare benefits, housing insecurity and rising costs, air and water pollution-related health crises — approving a military-grade detonation facility near homes and aquifers is not ‘economic development,'” the fundraising page states.

Cimino alleged procedural violations, including what she described as back-dating of the intergovernmental agreement. She noted that Sandoval County approved the agreement Oct. 22 with an effective date of Nov. 1, even though Rio Rancho was not scheduled to vote until Nov. 13.

“This creates a chronological impossibility — an agreement cannot take effect before one of the contracting parties lawfully adopts it,” she wrote.

Castelion officials have stated that no missiles will be launched from the site and no chemical synthesis will occur on-site, with flight testing to be conducted at Department of Defense ranges or other approved facilities. The company said it will conduct static fire tests of rocket motors but stressed that operations will not involve launching missiles into the air.

The Sandoval County Commission has approved 12 separate actions related to Project Ranger since June. Officials said the agreement includes clawback provisions if the company doesn’t meet job creation and safety benchmarks.

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For more information:

• Sandoval Signpost: Rio Rancho residents sound alarm
• Sandoval Signpost: Rio Rancho approves $1 million supporting controversial hypersonic missile facility
• Sandoval Signpost: Fire chief raises concerns
• Letter to the Editor: Project Ranger or Project Undercover
• Sandoval Signpost: County approves economic development agreement
• Sandoval Signpost: Project Ranger advances – is it safe?
• Sandoval Signpost: Community meeting draws hundreds
• GoFundMe: Defend New Mexico Communities
• Change.org petition