Our Stewardship

As we fulfill the Laboratory’s mission, we act as stewards of our environment and obey environmental regulations. By setting goals for continuous improvement, we measure and document our progress, and share our results with our workforce, stakeholders, and the public.

We reduce risk to human health and the environment through our efforts in three focus areas:

Creating a sustainable future

We sustain and conserve our natural resources by measuring our results with an eye toward the future. Reducing water use, managing and restoring our lands, and using energy efficiently and sustainably lowers our long-term effect on the environment. Our sustainability efforts aim at structuring daily practices toward an increasingly lower impact.

Protecting human and environmental health

We actively protect the quality of our aquifers, sustain air quality, work to eliminate contaminant releases, and strive to produce zero radioactive and hazardous waste. We identify current and future risks and take action by applying pollution prevention solutions focused on reducing the source of pollution, not merely recycling.

Cleaning up harms from past operations

We remove and stabilize ground and water contaminants to protect human health and the environment, as well as sampling for known and unexpected contaminants. We prevent contaminants from reaching the Rio Grande and other neighboring areas.

In all our focus areas, we collaborate with our stakeholders and local tribal governments to ensure that our Laboratory impacts the environment as little as possible.

Environmental philosophy

Discover how the Lab impacts the environment as little as possible

Sustainability goals

See the Lab's goals for environmental sustainability

Individual Permit

Learn about the Individual Permit, which authorizes the discharge of storm water associated with historical industrial activities