DOE to Break Out Cleanup Work at Los Alamos

DOE to Break Out Cleanup Work at Los Alamos, LANL Cleanup Managers Relieved of Duties

The Department of Energy will break out the cleanup work at Los Alamos National Laboratory from the National Nuclear Security Administration to be managed by the Office of Environmental Management, WC Monitor has learned. DOE is expected to announce its plans for the cleanup work currently included in the Los Alamos National Security contract as soon as today, though the exact contract vehicle or vehicles to be used remains unclear. The decision comes as LANL Director Charlie McMillan yesterday relieved several managers of their duties in relation to the site’s transuranic waste processing problems that have been linked to the radiological release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, WC Monitor has learned. The impacted managers include Dan Cox, LANL deputy associate director of environmental programs, Jeff Mousseau, associate director of environmental programs, Kathy Johns-Hughes, Director of the LANL TRU Program, Tori George, program director for regulatory management.

LANL’s cleanup program has been the focus of scrutiny after a drum processed at LANL was found to be the source of the Feb. 14 radiological release at WIPP. The New Mexico Environment Department has cited LANL for permit violations and also called for breaking out cleanup work at LANL to be managed by DOE EM as a condition for the restart of operations at WIPP. For more information, see this week’s issue of WC Monitor.