Environment department accuses Los Alamos lab of violations
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — December 1, 2018 — State environment officials have accused Los Alamos National Laboratory of violating its hazardous waste permit and state regulations.
The allegations came in a letter the New Mexico Environment Department sent to lab officials in early November, days after a new contractor began operating the lab.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the allegations include sending tons of construction waste to a landfill in Santa Fe and sites in Albuquerque and Colorado between 2015 and 2017 without proper notification and labeling.
A spokesman for the lab said it shipped thousands of hazardous waste containers during that time. He said four had discrepancies in documentation and labeling, but neither the public nor the environment was at risk.
State environment and lab officials declined to say whether they’re discussing a settlement.
Dr. John D. Johnson has a background in nuclear, experimental & accelerator physics. He worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1990s and founded Docent Institute to raise awareness about the ethical use of advanced technology.