"None of the alleged violations posed an immediate risk to the health and safety of the public," said Dennis Erickson, director of Los Alamos' Environment, Safety and Health Division, speaking on behalf of the Laboratory. "We continue to work to ensure that all concerns surrounding these alleged violations are addressed."
The order - issued against DOE and the Regents of the University of California, which operates the Laboratory on behalf of the Energy Department - lists 29 alleged violations that were discovered by personnel from NMED's Hazardous and Radioactive Materials Bureau during an inspection conducted between July and December 1997. During this "wall-to-wall" inspection, NMED officials investigated every Laboratory technical area.
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 29 alleged violations include failures to perform required waste characterization, failures to maintain adequate control of waste by generators, a lack of training refresher courses for some employees, improperly marking waste containment vessels or maintaining proper paperwork, failure to close a waste container, and the absence of an eyewash station at a facility that handles hazardous wastes.
Los Alamos officials will meet with NMED officials to respond to the allegations.
"The Laboratory has made improvements in our processes and we have worked intensively and intentionally to ensure continuing compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations," Erickson said.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.