EM-Los Alamos Completes Campaign to Review Historically Contaminated Sites

Soil samples at a site associated with legacy operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory are collected to ensure the safety of human and ecological health.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) completed a campaign that involved reviewing historical investigation data at six cleanup areas across Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) as part of its legacy cleanup mission.

In late April, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) concurred that EM-LA and legacy cleanup contractor Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos LLC (N3B) completed the Supplemental Investigation Reports (SIR) Campaign under the revised 2016 Compliance Order on Consent.

The SIR Campaign involved a major soil and environmental review to determine whether past environmental assessments met current regulatory standards for protecting human health and the environment. The work also helped identify where additional sampling or future cleanup actions may be needed.

“These reviews are an important part of ensuring cleanup decisions are based on the best available data and current environmental standards,” acting EM-LA Manager Stanley Pyram said. “I am impressed by the work that went into carrying out this campaign and pleased we could work with NMED to complete this campaign. This continues EM-LA’s strong record of meeting its Consent Order commitments.”

The SIR Campaign focused on reassessing legacy contamination sites grouped within individual watersheds and canyons across LANL. Over the course of the effort, EM-LA and N3B re-evaluated existing environmental data to better define the nature and extent of contamination and assess potential risks to people and the environment.

In total, EM-LA and N3B submitted 10 Supplemental Investigation Reports to NMED using existing investigation data, along with requests for certificates of completion, where appropriate.

NMED issued certificates of completion for 162 historical cleanup sites in accordance with the Consent Order. EM-LA and N3B determined an additional 64 sites may require corrective action; these sites have been moved to other Consent Order campaigns to complete such remediation, if necessary.

The SIR Campaign is one of 17 campaigns in the Consent Order. To date, two have been completed and 15 are in progress.

“Cleaning up legacy contamination and protecting the environment remain among our highest priorities,” said Brad Smith, N3B president and general manager. “While this campaign has concluded, important work continues across the Los Alamos cleanup mission, and we remain committed to carrying out that work safely, effectively and with a continued focus on operational excellence.”

-Contributor: Mike Nartker