News
News Releases Citizens Advisory Board learns how LANL protects water
Demonstration stresses quality data methods
As CAB members watch, technicians from Terranear PMC sample a groundwater well.
February 24, 2011—Members of the Northern New Mexico Citizens Advisory Board last week learned about how LANL monitors groundwater.
The CAB is a DOE-chartered board that makes recommendations about LANL legacy cleanup.
Members toured the site of a monitoring well near Overlook Park in White Rock—a well known as R-16. They watched as technicians from sampling contractor Terranear PMC took water samples for analysis.
The Lab monitors groundwater at various depths from more than 240 wells, well ports, and springs. Dozens of these wells monitor the deep water which supplies Los Alamos County.
While the CAB is familiar with results of the Lab's monitoring, many members had never seen the sampling process and the methods used to ensure data quality.
Fast Facts
People
11,127 total employees
Los Alamos National Security, LLC 8,683
SOC Los Alamos (Guard Force) 419
Contractors 606
Students 1,101
Place
Located 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 36 square miles of DOE-owned property.
More than 2,000 individual facilities, including 47 technical areas with 8 million square feet under roof.
Replacement value of $5.9 billion
Budget FY 2012: Approx. $2.2 billion
57% Weapons programs
9% Nonproliferation programs
7% Safeguards and Security
8% Environmental Management
4% DOE Office of Science
4% Energy and other programs
11% Work for Others
Workforce Demographics (LANS and students only)
34% of employees live in Los Alamos, the remainder commute from Santa Fe,
Española, Taos, and Albuquerque.
Average Age: 46
70% male, 30% female
43% minorities
63% university degrees
· 23% hold undergraduate degrees
· 16% hold graduate degrees
· 24% have earned a Ph.D.
Major Awards
121 R&D100 awards since 1978
31 E.O. Lawrence Awards
The Seaborg Medal
The Edward Teller Medal
The Nobel Prize in Physics, Frederick Reines