Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee members recently visited Los Alamos National Laboratory to learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office legacy cleanup mission. February 3, 2026
Office of Environmental Management
February 3, 2026
minute read time
Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee members, U.S. Department of Energy headquarters staff and representatives from other federal agencies tour Technical Area 54, Area G at Los Alamos National Laboratory in conjunction with the committee’s midyear meeting.
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee members recently visited Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) legacy cleanup mission.
EM-LA is dedicated to the cleanup of legacy contamination and waste resulting from nuclear weapons production and research during the Manhattan Project and Cold War era at LANL.
EM-LA and its contractor, Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos LLC (N3B), conducted the tour as part of the committee’s midyear meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tribal governments across the U.S., DOE headquarters staff and representatives from other federal agencies convened to discuss programs and activities relating to the transport and storage of radioactive waste and materials.
Inside Dome 375 at Technical Area 54, Area G, Brian Clayman, contact-handled transuranic waste program manager for Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos LLC, provides an overview of current legacy waste operation activities. Clayman responds to questions from Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee members regarding the different classifications of waste, waste transportation routes and safety measures implemented for workers.
The tour highlighted legacy waste operations at Technical Area 54, Area G — the facility dedicated to storing, characterizing and remediating LANL’s legacy transuranic, and mixed and low-level waste before it is shipped offsite for permanent disposal. The visitors learned about the process to safely prepare waste for shipment, including the close coordination with DOE’s Central Characterization Program to certify transuranic waste according to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant’s waste acceptance criteria.
During a tour of legacy waste operations at Technical Area 54, Area G, Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee members observe characterization of standard waste boxes containing size-reduced corrugated metal pipes with cemented transuranic waste. Several stages of characterization are safely conducted using protective gear, specialized equipment and continuous air monitoring to abate risk to workers, the public and the environment. Once certified as safe and compliant to ship, the boxes will be permanently disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.