Lab responds to NMED compliance order

Contact: James Rickman, (505) 665-9203 (00-004)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 6, 2000 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory has received a compliance order from the New Mexico Environment Department that proposes a penalty of $845,990 for alleged violations of the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act and New Mexico Hazardous Waste Management Regulations.

The order - issued against DOE and the Regents of the University of California, which operates the Laboratory on behalf of the Energy Department - lists 30 alleged violations that were discovered by personnel from NMED's Hazardous and Radioactive Materials Bureau during its 1998 annual inspection conducted between Aug. 10, 1998 and Sept. 18, 1998. NMED officials investigated several Laboratory technical areas during the inspection. The Laboratory last month announced that it had received a previous NMED compliance order stemming from the state's 1997 wall-to-wall inspection.

"We continue to work to ensure that all concerns surrounding these alleged violations are addressed," said Dennis Erickson, director of Los Alamos' Environment, Safety and Health Division, speaking on behalf of the Laboratory. "At no time was the safety or health of the public or the environment compromised because of the alleged violations."

The Laboratory comprises dozens of individual technical areas located on 43 square miles of land area; about 1,400 major buildings and other facilities are part of the Laboratory. Researchers at Los Alamos work on initiatives related to the Laboratory's central mission of enhancing global security as well as on basic research in a variety of disciplines. As result of the scientific and technical work conducted at Los Alamos, the Laboratory generates, treats and stores hazardous wastes and mixed hazardous and radioactive wastes.

As listed in the compliance order, the 30 alleged violations include failures to perform required waste characterization; failure to maintain adequate control of waste by generators; exceeding storage time limits for hazardous wastes; failure of some employees to participate in training refresher courses in a timely manner; improperly marking waste containers; not maintaining proper paperwork; failure to perform inspections; and the absence of an eyewash station, a fire extinguisher and communication devices at some facilities that handle hazardous wastes.

Los Alamos officials will meet with NMED officials to respond to the allegations in both compliance orders.

More news releases from the Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) Division