Spilled waste water did not contain high explosives

Contact: James Rickman, (505) 665-9203 (00-019)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Feb. 15, 2000 -- Officials at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory recently reported to state and federal regulators that waste water unintentionally discharged from a holding tank onto the ground at Technical Area 9 was virtually free of contaminants.

The Laboratory reported the waste water discharge to state and federal agencies and to the public on Jan. 21, the day it occurred. At that time, Laboratory officials suspected that the water might have contained small concentrations of high explosives residue since the water was generated at a research facility that handles those materials.

However, subsequent analysis of the water and of the soil onto which the water spilled showed no trace of high explosives. The waste water contained only trace amounts of solvents and other chemicals and presents little or no risk to the environment or to the safety and health of people working in the area.

It is standard practice in the High Explosives Science and Technology Group, and at the Laboratory, to place waste chemicals in satellite storage areas along with three rinses of the glassware before the glassware is washed in laboratory sinks. This practice contributed significantly to the low concentrations of chemicals in the waste water.

"We are pleased that the analysis indicates that the consequences of this event were benign," said Dennis Erickson, director of the Laboratory's Environment, Safety and Health Division, "but even more than that, we are pleased by the quick response to the situation by Laboratory employees when it first occurred. Workers isolated the spill, went to work determining the cause of the incident and its potential ramifications, and promptly notified regulating agencies and stakeholders. By doing so, we were able to minimize potential effects on the environment and we are well on our way to ensuring that something like this doesn't happen again."

An analysis -- performed by an independent, commercial laboratory -- showed that soil at the discharge location contained minuscule concentrations of a few semi-volatile organic compounds. The analysis looked for dozens of contaminants, the vast majority of which were not detected at all.

Tests of the waste water showed extremely low concentrations of chemical contaminants. All concentrations were below regulatory standards.

Laboratory officials will continue to work with state and federal regulators on an approved course of action to address soil affected by the spill and will improve controls for the tanks. Waste water generation remains curtailed until these controls are implemented.

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