Accelerated Remediation Company, a local small business with offices in Los Alamos, received a contract from LANL to begin remediation of an historic waste site known as Material Disposal Area B (MDA-B).
This area, located within LANL's Technical Area 21, was the first common disposal area for radioactive waste generated at the Laboratory and received waste related to Laboratory operations from 1945 until 1948. MDA-B is located in Los Alamos on DP Mesa, on the south side of DP Road across from numerous Los Alamos businesses.
In compliance with the New Mexico Environment Department Consent Order, MDA-B is scheduled for complete removal of historical contents. DP Mesa contains land that potentially could be transferred to Los Alamos County for economic development or other purposes. Because of the county's interest and MDA-B's proximity to a planned commercial development, LANL's goal is to clean the former disposal site to residential standards.
Laboratory officials and Keith Tucker, Accelerated Remediation Company's program manager, signed the contract last week. The contract for $36.4 million is the largest awarded to a minority-owned small business certified by the Small Business Administration since at least 1999.
"Cleanup of MDA-B represents a significant step forward by the Laboratory in continuing to meet our environmental stewardship commitments," said Sue Stiger, LANL's associate director for environmental programs.
Acquisition Services Management Division Leader Kevin Chalmers, left, and Keith Tucker of Accelerated Remediation Company sign the MDA-B cleanup contract at Chalmer's laboratory office. (Click image to enlarge)