LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) and cleanup contractor N3B Los Alamos will host a virtual public meeting on November 9, 2021, from 3:30-5 p.m., to provide information on the completed investigation of 19 sites in Pueblo Canyon associated with historical Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) operations.

EM-LA and N3B recently submitted a request to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to complete the regulatory process for the sites, which would certify they no longer require monitoring or investigation, as they no longer pose a risk to human health or the environment from any potential contaminants. Completing the regulatory process entails changing the sites’ status in the hazardous waste permit for LANL.

Environmental professionals investigated the 19 sites through extensive soil sampling and then sent samples to an analytical laboratory certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Analytical results verified soil from these sites meets state standards for residential purposes.

The sites are located in Pueblo Canyon, near the Los Alamos townsite.

In addition to the November 9 public meeting to inform the public of the request to complete the regulatory process for the 19 sites, a public comment period will run through December 5, 2021.

Meeting details are available on N3B’s website at https://n3b-la.com/outreach/. Relevant comments from the public should be directed to both of the following contacts:

  • Neelam Dhawan, New Mexico Environment Department Hazardous Waste Bureau, 2905 Rodeo Park Drive East, Building 1, Santa Fe, NM 87505-6313
  • Arturo Duran, U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office, 1200 Trinity Drive, Suite 400, Los Alamos, NM 87544