The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office has commenced work to deactivate, decommission and remove the Ion Beam Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Office of Environmental Management
February 4, 2025
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The Ion Beam Facility, center, at Technical Area 03, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Ion Beam Facility housed two Van de Graaff accelerators, which at the time of construction were among the largest in the world
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) has commenced work to deactivate, decommission and remove the Ion Beam Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
The project is part of the DOE Office of Environmental Management’s mission to address excess facilities resulting from nuclear weapons production and research during the Manhattan Project and Cold War era.
EM-LA’s deactivation, decommissioning and removal contractor, Aptim Federal Services (APTIM), is managing the project.
Historical photos of the Ion Beam Facility. Left: The tower housed the vertical accelerator, with the tunnel connecting it to office buildings on the right. Center: The control room for the vertical Van de Graaff accelerator. Right: The south side of the Ion Beam Facility. Demolition of the facility's administrative wing is anticipated to begin this fall. The deactivation, decommissioning and removal project is expected to span over five years.
As part of the initial project work, APTIM has mobilized onsite and set up work trailers, displayed safety signage and constructed protective fencing. The work process includes removal of contaminants while prioritizing the protection of workers, the local community and the environment.
APTIM crews have begun performing interior facility sampling at the estimated 60,000-square-foot facility to assess for potential contamination. They also are conducting verification surveys to enable implementation of proper controls and safety measures during removal of materials. Air monitoring will confirm that all controls are properly functioning during the project.
APTIM is working closely with EM-LA, LANL management and operations contractor Triad National Security and the National Nuclear Security Administration Los Alamos Field Office on all areas of the project.
The Ion Beam Facility housed two Van de Graaff accelerators, which at the time of construction were among the largest in the world. The accelerators were some of LANL’s most significant scientific tools for conducting nuclear experiments. They played a major role in pure physics research and experiments that helped develop America's nuclear arsenal during the 1950s and 1960s.
Demolition of the facility's administrative wing is anticipated to begin this fall. The deactivation, decommissioning and removal project is expected to span over five years.
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