News on the world's largest environmental cleanup
Office of Environmental Management
September 15, 2026
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Los Alamos Achieving Banner Year for Waste Shipments to WIPP
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office has completed a record 78 transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in fiscal year 2026 to date — an 81% increase from fiscal year 2025. 🚛
The shipments included about 350 cubic meters of legacy waste, the largest volume shipped under the current Los Alamos cleanup contract. Read the full story to learn how crews are accelerating legacy cleanup.
Hanford Tank-Side Pretreatment System Resumes Operations After 6-month Pause
The Hanford Site’s Tank-Side Cesium Removal System is back in operation, pretreating radioactive tank waste for the first time since February. ⚙️
The current batch is expected to produce about 230,000 gallons of pretreated waste for treatment and disposal, supporting continued progress on Hanford’s tank waste cleanup mission. Read the full story to learn how the restart is helping advance waste treatment at the site.
New Equipment Creates Cost Savings for Idaho Liquid Waste Treatment Facility
The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the Idaho National Laboratory Site is using new equipment to reduce costs associated with radioactive liquid waste cleanup. 💧
A new condensate evaporator has processed more than 6,000 gallons of condensate from the facility’s nitrogen plant, saving nearly $100,000 in shipping and disposal costs. Read the full story to learn how the Idaho Cleanup Project is finding new ways to improve efficiency while advancing cleanup.
Momentum Builds as Crews Take on 2 Demolitions in 1 Year at Y-12 — a First
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is building cleanup momentum at the Y-12 National Security Complex, conducting demolition on two facilities in a single fiscal year for the first time. 🏗️
Crews recently began demolishing the Old Steam Plant after completing the Alpha-2 teardown earlier this year, eliminating aging infrastructure and clearing space to support future national security missions. Read the full story to learn how strategic sequencing is helping Oak Ridge maintain momentum as teams prepare for even larger demolition projects.