Middle DP Road Site

Field work at the Middle DP Road Site has been completed and N3B is demobilizing the site. Remaining work includes removing a small amount of construction debris. The Solid Waste Management Unit Assessment Report is in progress and will be submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department by the end of 2023.

On January 30, 2023, an isolated piece of radioactive material was detected at the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site. Excavation was occurring to remove soil at the northernmost edge of the site, which was previously identified through extent sampling as having elevated levels of heavy metals, such as copper and lead. N3B immediately stopped work and called radiological control technicians to evaluate the waste and secure it on-site.

The material was placed in the proper waste container, transported to Technical Area 21, and is being stored until pending final disposition. N3B surveyed the area for radiological activity, none was found, and excavation continues per the Extent Sampling Work Plan and Radiological Work Permit. The safety of the workforce, the public and the environment remain DOE’s top priority.

Additional sampling results at the Middle DP Road site continue to be evaluated and off-site shipment of low-level radiological waste continues, with roughly one-third of waste containers having been shipped off-site to a permanent disposal facility.

Extent and confirmation sampling of the excavated areas at the Middle DP Road site continue. In addition, N3B began excavation of contaminated soil where confirmation samples showed elevated metals above residential screening levels. Waste management activities also continue for facilitation of off-site shipment of contaminated soil.

N3B completed confirmation sample collection at the Middle DP Road Site in early February 2022. Based on the results, additional samples and soil excavation may be required. Once all data has been received and assessed, additional sampling and soil removal will be planned and implemented if necessary.

Samples continue being collected at the Middle DP Road Site to confirm no additional soil and debris removal is necessary at the site. The outcome is determined by comparison of sample results from an off-site analytical laboratory; samples are analyzed against soil screening levels and risk analyses. Areas of excavation have been backfilled to provide additional worker safety while collecting the samples. Off-site shipment of contaminated debris and soil continues.

N3B crews continue to backfill locations that had been excavated at the Middle DP Road site. At locations that have already been backfilled, crews are collecting soil samples to confirm that both depth and lateral extent of contamination was addressed and that those sites meet residential use criteria. The sites have been backfilled prior to sample collection to provide added worker safety while collecting the samples.

EM-LA and N3B have completed the investigation and removal of radiologically contaminated soil and debris found in February 2020 at Middle DP Road. Since beginning work on the project in August 2020, 3,323 cubic yards of contaminated materials have been excavated — the equivalent of more than 12,202 55-gallon drums. Crews are now filling in the excavation sites and each site will then undergo additional sampling in order to confirm the site is safe for residential use. An assessment report will be submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department upon completion of the fieldwork.

As of October 19, investigation activities at Middle DP Road (MDPR) are 95 percent complete, with 118 of the 124 planned sites investigated and remediated. Contaminated soil and debris from three of the four areas at MDPR where crews have focused their efforts the past two months have been excavated and safely packaged for disposal at an off-site facility. In total, about 3,200 cubic yards of low-level radioactive debris and soil have been excavated and packaged for such disposal — the equivalent of nearly 16,900 55-gallon drums.

During the week of September 27, crews continued excavation of contaminated soil and debris from two areas at the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site. To date, crews have excavated 2,759 cubic yards of low-level radioactive waste for off-site disposal from MDPR — the equivalent of nearly 11,150 55-gallon drums.

During the week of September 13, crews continued to excavate debris and soil from two areas at the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site. As a conservative measure, non-contaminated debris and associated soil were packaged with newly found contaminated debris. To date, 2,382 cubic yards of low-level radioactive waste — the equivalent of about 9,621 55-gallon drums — has been excavated from MDPR and safely packaged for off-site disposal.

As of September 2, excavation of soil and buried debris at the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site continues as crews determine the extent of a layer of buried debris. Once removed, the debris and associated soil are screened for radiological activity and packaged accordingly. To date, N3B has excavated and safely packaged for disposal more than 1,500 cubic yards of low-level radioactive waste from the MDPR site — the equivalent of about 6,000 drums.

On July 26, N3B began shipping excavated soil from the Middle DP Road site. The soil will be used to support the future closure of an approved waste disposal site at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The soil meets all regulatory standards for this purpose and advances additional legacy environmental cleanup projects. As of July 27, N3B has completed 85 percent of planned assessment activities at the Middle DP Road site.

On July 8, N3B discovered an intact 500-milliliter amber glass bottle containing liquid during pothole excavation at the Middle DP Road Site. As part of required procedures, N3B contacted the Emergency Operations Support Center (EOSC). Out of an abundance of caution, the EOSC instructed N3B to engage the Los Alamos County Fire Department for HazMat support and assistance. The Los Alamos County Fire Department placed the bottle in a secure drum and secured it at an onsite location while it awaits waste characterization sampling. Work resumed at MDPR shortly thereafter while prioritizing the safety of N3B’s workforce, the environment, and the surrounding community.

N3B has completed 83 percent of planned assessment activities at the MDPR site as of June 26 and plans to start excavating in the next two weeks. N3B is packaging radiologically contaminated materials that have already been found as well as the excavated soil as it is removed from the excavation sites. The soil and contaminated material will be sampled for proper waste disposition. Confirmation sampling of the surrounding soil will continue to occur to determine if additional excavation is necessary.

As of June 17, investigation activities have been completed at 100 of 124 planned sites at the Middle DP Road Site. One site contained radiologically contaminated material that was removed, and post-cleanup sampling is pending. Investigation is underway at three other sites near where contamination was discovered in 2020. N3B expects to begin excavation at those sites in the next week with work to continue at the remaining sites in the near future. Click the “View Map” button to download a status map of pothole investigations at the MDPR Site.

N3B has completed shipment of 25 containers of low-level radioactive waste originating from the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site to an off-site disposal facility for permanent disposal. Each container consists of soil removed from the MDPR site during 2020.

On May 18, Troy Thomson, Environmental Remediation acting program manager for N3B, provided an update on Middle DP Road (MDPR) activities to the Los Alamos County Council. The update included a status on the investigation of 124 potholes, which is nearly 60 percent complete, as of May 17. Click the “Read More” button to download a status map of pothole investigations at the MDPR Site.

Work continued this week investigating the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site. About 30 percent of the planned sampling locations have been investigated and no contaminated debris has been discovered. Workers also completed marking all sampling locations and completed a housekeeping sweep of the MDPR site.

This week, N3B began shipping containers of low level radioactive waste originating from the Middle DP Road (MDPR) site to the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) site in Texas for permanent disposal. Each container consists of about 16 cubic yards of soil removed from the MDPR site during the 2020 investigation and installation of utilities.

Field work began at the Middle DP Road (MDPR) Site on April 15. To help gain confidence that radioactively contaminated debris will not be encountered during future development, N3B will investigate about 124 sites. Investigation activities will include excavation, cleanup and sampling. Click “Read More” to view a map of the MDPR Site.

Beginning the week of April 12, the Los Alamos residents should expect to see increased truck traffic as N3B begins an environmental investigation of two land parcels on the south side of DP Road.

The New Mexico Environment Department has approved the work plan for investigating the Middle DP Road (MDPR) Site. The work plan, Solid Waste Management Unit Assessment Work Plan for Middle DP Road Site, Revision 1, lays out the work to be done at MDPR, as well as background and history.