PHOENIX - As it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2018, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was a featured site at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.
“LANL is the oldest and most complex National Nuclear Security Administration site," Doug Hintze, manager of the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA), noted during a “Hot Topics" panel presentation. Several LANL panels focused on cleanup and storage of the historic laboratory’s legacy waste.
While discussing legacy cleanup at LANL, Hintze said EM-LA’s mission is to “safely, efficiently, and with full transparency, complete the cleanup of legacy contamination and waste (pre-1999) resulting from nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear research at (LANL)."
In a separate presentation, Hintze highlighted one of LANL’s most significant recent milestones: the successful treatment of the nitrate salts stored there. Multiple organizations from across the country collaborated on issues related to the nitrate salts, from safety and storage to the treatment plan and readiness assessments. Together, a common goal was reached through what Hintze called a “unity of effort."
In total, 60 remediated nitrate salt drums and 27 unremediated nitrate salt drums were safely treated over the last several months at LANL.
Hintze provided an overview of EM-LA’s approach to legacy cleanup and waste management. As one campaign is completed, the next scheduled campaign begins, with multiple campaigns underway simultaneously. Hintze detailed how this approach is tied to the 2016 Compliance Order on Consent with the State of New Mexico, noting that 17 campaigns are identified in the Consent Order.
Several subject-matter experts from EM-LA contractor Los Alamos National Security (LANS) gave presentations on EM’s legacy cleanup and waste management mission at LANL, from the waste disposition program at Technical Area 54 and an in-depth look at the treatment of the remediated nitrate salts to overviews on sediment transport mitigation in watersheds. Technical Program Manager Danny Katzman provided an update on characterization efforts of the hexavalent chromium plume in the regional aquifer on LANL property and the interim measure underway to arrest its migration.
LANL Deputy Director Rick Kacich highlighted key efforts by LANS under its bridge contract with EM, including treating the remediated nitrate salts and addressing the chromium plume. Work under that contract, which began in October 2015, is nearing completion. Kacich noted that transition to the new Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract began on Jan. 25. N3B-Los Alamos, the new cleanup contractor for that contract, is expected to complete transition this spring.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
