LANL Waste Operations & Waste Definitions
Click on a category below to learn more about LANL waste operations.
Sanitary Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-46 Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Constituents: All LANL sanitary wastewater and some Los Alamos County wastewater
- Amount: 0.2 - 0.3 MGD influent from 12,000-16,000 persons per weekday (0.1 MGD on weekends and holidays)
- Size: Over 50 miles of sewer with 43 pump/lift stations and 800+ manholes
- Pathway: Generates an effluent to outfall and a solid waste stream disposed off-site
- Operation: 24/7
- Regulations: EPA/NPDES; NMED/Groundwater Discharge Plan: NMED Operator Certification Program
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Material Recycling Facility
- Constituents: All LANL waste
- Amount: Approximately 6,000 metric tons per year; approximately 66% is recycled (3,847 metric tons/FY04)
- Pathway: Multiple disposal pathways, including Los Alamos County Landfill, Rio Rancho Landfill, Recycling and Scrap Facilities
- Regulations: RCRA, NMED Permits
Radioactive Low-Level Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF)
- Constituents: All LANL low-level liquid waste
- Amount: 12 million liters (3.2MG) CY2003 influent to TA-50
- Size: Supports 15 TAs with 63 buildings and 1,800 drains; over 4 miles of collection system with 65 vaults
- Pathway: Generates an effluent to NPDES outfall and radioactive solid waste streams disposed on site
- Operation: 24/7 influent flows (additional locations are TA-21-257, TA-53 Evaporative Basins)
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility; EPA/NPDES; NMED/Groundwater Discharge Plan; DOE/DCGs; RCRA; 40CFR61/Emissions
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL low-level solid waste
- Amount: 2850 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and disposal is the primary waste pathway; additional off-site disposal pathways to NTS, EnviroCare
- Regulations: DOE; Category 2 Nuclear Facility
Radioactive Transuranic Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) - Room 60 Operations
- Constituents: TRU liquid waste from TA-55
- Amount: Range 10,000-80,000 liters/year treated since 1996
- Size: 4 runs of 1,500ft underground collection system lines, two holding tanks in underground vault
- Pathway: Generates low-level liquid waste stream and TRU solid waste stream
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL TRU waste
- Amount: Approximately 200 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal to WIPP is the primary waste pathway
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; 4 Category 2 Nuclear Facilities
Mixed Low-Level Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Areas L & G
- Constituents: All LANL mixed low-level liquid waste
- Amount: Approximately 1 cubic meter per year
- Pathway: Off-site treatment and disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; some waste is within bounds of the Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Areas L & G
- Constituents: All LANL mixed low-level solid waste
- Amount: Approximately 24 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; some waste is within bounds of the Category 2 Nuclear Facility
Mixed Transuranic Waste
This waste category is included within the TRU waste category
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) - Room 60 Operations
- Constituents: TRU liquid waste from TA-55
- Amount: Range 10,000-80,000 liters/year treated since 1996
- Size: 4 runs of 1,500ft underground collection system lines, two holding tanks in underground vault
- Pathway: Generates low-level liquid waste stream and TRU solid waste stream
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL TRU waste
- Amount: Approximately 200 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal to WIPP is the primary waste pathway
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; 4 Category 2 Nuclear Facilities
Hazardous Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: Institutionally at Consolidated Remote Waste Storage Sites (CRWSS)
- Constituents: All LANL hazardous liquid waste
- Amount: Approximately 13 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: Off-site treatment and disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED
- Solid
- Treatment Location: Institutionally at Consolidated Remote Waste Storage Sites (CRWSS)
- Constituents: All LANL hazardous solid waste
- Amount: Approximately 1300 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED
Industrial Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: High Explosives Wastewater Treatment Facility (HEWTF)
- Constituents: All LANL industrial liquid waste
- Amount:
- Pathway:
- Regulations:
- Solid
- Treatment Location: High Explosives Wastewater Treatment Facility (HEWTF)
- Constituents: All LANL industrial solid waste
- Amount:
- Pathway:
- Regulations:
Radioactive Low-Level Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF)
- Constituents: All LANL low-level liquid waste
- Amount: 12 million liters (3.2MG) CY2003 influent to TA-50
- Size: Supports 15 TAs with 63 buildings and 1,800 drains; over 4 miles of collection system with 65 vaults
- Pathway: Generates an effluent to NPDES outfall and radioactive solid waste streams disposed on site
- Operation: 24/7 influent flows (additional locations are TA-21-257, TA-53 Evaporative Basins)
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility; EPA/NPDES; NMED/Groundwater Discharge Plan; DOE/DCGs; RCRA; 40CFR61/Emissions
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL low-level solid waste
- Amount: 2850 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and disposal is the primary waste pathway; additional off-site disposal pathways to NTS, EnviroCare
- Regulations: DOE; Category 2 Nuclear Facility
Radioactive Transuranic Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) - Room 60 Operations
- Constituents: TRU liquid waste from TA-55
- Amount: Range 10,000-80,000 liters/year treated since 1996
- Size: 4 runs of 1,500ft underground collection system lines, two holding tanks in underground vault
- Pathway: Generates low-level liquid waste stream and TRU solid waste stream
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL TRU waste
- Amount: Approximately 200 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal to WIPP is the primary waste pathway
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; 4 Category 2 Nuclear Facilities
Mixed Low-Level Waste
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Areas L & G
- Constituents: All LANL mixed low-level liquid waste
- Amount: Approximately 1 cubic meter per year
- Pathway: Off-site treatment and disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; some waste is within bounds of the Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Areas L & G
- Constituents: All LANL mixed low-level solid waste
- Amount: Approximately 24 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; some waste is within bounds of the Category 2 Nuclear Facility
Mixed Transuranic Waste
This waste category is included within the TRU waste category
- Liquid
- Treatment Location: TA-50-1 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) - Room 60 Operations
- Constituents: TRU liquid waste from TA-55
- Amount: Range 10,000-80,000 liters/year treated since 1996
- Size: 4 runs of 1,500ft underground collection system lines, two holding tanks in underground vault
- Pathway: Generates low-level liquid waste stream and TRU solid waste stream
- Regulations: Category 2 Nuclear Facility
- Solid
- Treatment Location: TA-54 Solid Waste Operations - Area G
- Constituents: All LANL TRU waste
- Amount: Approximately 200 cubic meters per year
- Pathway: On-site treatment and off-site disposal to WIPP is the primary waste pathway
- Regulations: RCRA; NMED; 4 Category 2 Nuclear Facilities
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