What we do
Protect the environment for future generations
FY22 Cleanup Priorities Overview
Protect Water Quality
N3B monitors groundwater for contamination and controls the migration of contaminated storm water linked to historical Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) operations. N3B is also treating a groundwater plume that contains elevated levels of hexavalent chromium and investigating a plume of Royal Demolition Explosives (RDX). Both plumes are in the regional aquifer beneath LANL.
GROUNDWATER
Monitor groundwater to ensure water leaving LANL does not pose an unacceptable impact to human or ecological health.
STORM WATER
Monitor surface water and storm water runoff for contaminants linked to historical LANL operations while minimizing migration of potentially contaminated water through engineered controls.
Chromium
Control migration of the hexavalent chromium plume and reduce the plume footprint, while identifying a final remedy.
Royal Demolition Explosive
Ensure RDX groundwater contamination from past LANL operations does not threaten human and environmental health.
Crews drill a borehole for groundwater monitoring well R-71 to further characterize the hexavalent chromium plume in groundwater beneath Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Resource Library
RDX Fact Sheet
Chromium Plume Fact Sheet
Clean Up The Land
N3B remediates sites across LANL where waste was historically spilled or disposed. Sites entail contaminated soil and debris, along with old landfills. N3B is also decontaminating and demolishing facilities used in LANL’s early Cold War-era plutonium processing and radiological liquid waste treatment operations.
MATERIAL DISPOSAL AREAS
Remediate old landfills, known as Material Disposal Areas, where contaminated material from past LANL operations was disposed.
AGGREGATE AREAS
Investigate, excavate and ship off-site for disposal contaminated soil and debris from LANL’s legacy operations.
MIDDLE DP ROAD
Respond to new legacy LANL contamination found on Los Alamos County-owned land by investigating, excavating and shipping contaminated soil and debris off-site in preparation of safe residential use.
TECHNICAL AREA 21
Decontaminate and demolish decommissioned LANL buildings at TA-21, next to Los Alamos’ industrial area, to make the land available for beneficial use.
Tessa Hermes, assistant project manager and senior geologist with N3B subcontractor TerranearPMC, assesses excavation of contaminated soil near one of LANL’s Cold War-era underground explosives firing chambers. This Aggregate Area site is part of the Southern External Boundary Campaign to clean up contamination in Lower Water Canyon.
Resource Library
TA-21 Fact Sheet
MDA Fact Sheet
Ship Waste Off-Site
N3B retrieves, processes and ships off-site for disposal transuranic, low-level radiological and hazardous waste generated by LANL during the Manhattan Project and Cold War. Moving waste off-site reduces impact to human and environmental health from radiological and hazardous materials.
TRANSURANIC WASTE
Store, remediate and ship LANL’s legacy transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
OTHER WASTE STREAMS
Store, remediate and ship other LANL waste off-site for processing.
An EM-TRU waste shipment from the Radioassay and Nondestructive Testing facility at LANL departs for WIPP.
Resource Library
Area G Fact Sheet
Accomplishments
FISCAL YEAR 2022
FISCAL YEAR 2021
