Background

The Chupadera Mesa, New Mexico, Site was remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). FUSRAP was established in 1974 to remediate sites where radioactive contamination remained from Manhattan Project and early U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) operations.

History

The Chupadera Mesa Site consists of privately-owned open range land northeast of the White Sands Missile Range and the city of Bingham in New Mexico. The site consists of the fallout zone of the first nuclear weapons test, the Trinity test, conducted on July 16, 1945. The test was part of the Manhattan Project established during World War II to conduct research for the development and production of nuclear weapons.

AEC and successor organizations monitored the site between 1945 and 1985. In 1986, DOE determined that residual radioactive materials met applicable standards, therefore no remediation was conducted under FUSRAP and DOE released the site for unrestricted use. Responsibility for the site was transferred from DOE’s Office of Environmental Management to its Office of Legacy Management (LM) in 2004.

Final Conditions

No supplemental limits or institutional controls are in effect at the site and DOE does not require on-site monitoring or surveillance. LM’s long-term stewardship responsibilities consist of managing FUSRAP site records and responding to stakeholder inquiries. For more information about the Chupadera Mesa FUSRAP Site, view the fact sheet.