Environment

Argonne National Laboratory is helping our nation build an economy based on renewable energy, a reduced carbon footprint and freedom from foreign oil. We continually monitor our energy use and emissions to minimize our environmental impact and improve our day-to-day operations. Our environmental stewardship programs leverage our R&D programs to help reduce our own electricity use, water consumption and environmental emissions.

Argonne's environmental policy commits the laboratory to conduct experiments, facility operations, construction and all other activities in an environmentally safe and sound manner that is consistent with Argonne's permits and that works for continual improvement. The laboratory's Environmental Management System is ISO 14001:2004 certified.

Argonne strives to be a good neighbor and a responsible environmental steward. A number of Argonne programs care for the environment by continually monitoring and measuring contaminants onsite and by conscientiously tracking, collecting and properly disposing of the small amounts of chemical and radioactive waste that Argonne research generates. Argonne also carries out environmental monitoring for the U.S. Department of Energy of Red Gate Woods, where nuclear-reactor-related research was performed from 1943 to the mid-1950s.