Allegations Regarding the Sandia National Laboratories Mixed Waste Landfill
February 18, 2016
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February 18, 2016
Allegations Regarding the Sandia National Laboratories Mixed Waste Landfill
Since December 2014, the Office of Inspector General has received multiple allegations and information regarding human health and environmental protection issues due to the waste stored in the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL). For example, it was alleged that the inventory of the MWL was not complete and that contaminants from the MWL had reached the Albuquerque, New Mexico, aquifer. In response, we initiated a special review to examine the facts surrounding the allegations.
Our review substantiated only one of six allegations regarding the SNL MWL. Specifically, we substantiated that since the MWL’s inception in 1959, SNL and the Department of Energy had not maintained a complete inventory of the types and amounts of waste disposed of in the MWL. We found examples of waste disposed in the MWL that were not documented in the inventory. Specifically, we found records of contaminated rods and of 204,000 gallons of reactor coolant water.
In discussing a path forward, the National Nuclear Security Administration did not find value in updating the MWL inventory due to their various required activities of the MWL, which include monitoring. However, to mitigate the remaining uncertainty with the MWL inventory, we suggest that the Manager of the Sandia Field Office ensure adherence to the requirements presented by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for long-term monitoring and maintenance as well as 5 year reporting to reevaluate the feasibility of excavation of the MWL and to analyze the continued effectiveness of an NMED-ordered remedy.
Topic: Management & Administration