Upper Los Alamos Canyon Cleanup Project
News Releases
- June 19, 2009: Lab proposes cleanup of nine sites in Los Alamos
- Sept. 25, 2008: Laboratory Begins Environmental Sampling in Townsite
Overview
Signed on March 1, 2005, the NMED-LANL Compliance Order on Consent is a road map to sample and clean up legacy waste. Examination of an area within the Los Alamos Townsite will begin in 2008. Located along Los Alamos Canyon from 7th Street to the Ski Hill, the Upper Los Alamos Canyon Project will examine 61 sites in 7 present and former Technical Areas to see if any further cleanup actions are needed before applying to have these sites removed permanently from LANL’s Hazardous Waste Permit.
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has authority under the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act over cleanup of sites with hazardous constituents. DOE has authority over cleanup of sites with radioactive contamination.
Among the 115 sites within the Project, 54 have been previously investigated and/or remediated and verified by NMED as needing no further action. This Project addresses the remaining 61 sites using information from previous field investigations and removal actions to evaluate current conditions at each site and to specify the approximately 700 new samples to be taken during the Project.
The Upper Los Alamos Canyon project entails:
- Collecting soil and rock samples using the most efficient and least-invasive methods practicable
- Defining the nature and extent of any residual contamination associated with each solid-waste management unit or area of concern
- Gathering additional data if needed to evaluate potential remedial alternatives
Partial funding has been received. Field work is expected to begin in 2008. The final report is due to NMED in May of 2009.
Documents
Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Documents
- Fact Sheets
- Upper Los Alamos Canyon Project Fact Sheet (LA-UR-07-7458)
- Upper Los Alamos Canyon Project FAQs (LA-UR-08-0418)
- Investigations
- Investigation Report for Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Area, Revision 1
(LA-UR-10-0422) - Investigation Work Plan for Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Area
(LA-UR-06-2464) - Main Text
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Appendix C
- Figures Part 1
- Figures Part 2
- Figures Part 3
- Figures 11x17
- Tables 1
- Tables 2
- Plate 1 (Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Area SWMUs and AOCs)
- Plate 2 (TA-01 Site Map)
- Historical Investigation for Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Area
(LA-UR-06-2465) - Main Text
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Data Table 1
- Data Table 2
- Data Table 3
- Appendix C
- Figures Part 1
- Figures Part 2
- Figures Part 3
- Figures Part 4
- Tables
Maps
Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Maps
- 5/31/2009 Status Map of TA-01
- 5/31/2009 Status Map of TA-32
- Figures 11x17 (Project Area Wells)
- Plate 1 (Upper Los Alamos Canyon Aggregate Area SWMUs and AOCs)
- Plate 2 (TA-01 Site Map)
- TA-01 Site Map (Sampling Locations)
Audio/Visual
Upper Los Alamos Canyon Project Public Meeting - June 25, 2008
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- Project Overview (3 minutes)
- Area Air Monitoring (10 minutes)
- Complete Meeting (25 minutes) or view the presentation (pdf)



