The Area G waste dump at Los Alamos National Laboratory occupies 63 acres on Mesita del Buey, just west of White Rock.
New Mexico Secretary of the Environment David Martin announced today that NMED will postpone upcoming deadlines for environmental cleanup at Los Alamos National Lab.---
Martin addressed a meeting of the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee this afternoon to give two presentations, one of which was on the topic of legacy waste at LANL. As SFR previously reported, NMED stopped releasing information about lab cleanup last month pending alignment of cleanup plans with Gov. Susana Martinez' environmental priorities. New Mexico activists cried foul, pointing out that the legal document governing the lab's cleanup, called the consent order, requires public involvement in any amendment to the plan.
Martin told the committee that although an amendment would require public participation, "rescheduling" itself does not.
"We have agreed to make adjustments to some rapidly-approaching deadlines," Martin said, adding that NMED is "committed to engaging the public throughout this process" when there are "noteworthy developments."
LANL's biggest waste dump, called Area G (pictured above), contains over 10 million cubic feet of radioactive waste, most of it buried directly in the earth in unlined pits. LANL released a report last month declaring its intention to cover the waste rather than remove it, citing cost concerns.
"We're beginning to communicate with lawmakers, voters and the general public about this approach, and that's one reason we're here today," Martin said at the meeting.
Nuclear Watch Mew Mexico Operations and Research Director Scott Kovac had predicted the "rescheduling," telling SFR on Monday he expected a two-year setback to many of the cleanup deadlines. Martin did not detail which deadlines would be extended and for how long. LANL is already years late on some of its current cleanup deadlines, and others have already been extended.
