Cleanup Project Begins Near Upper Truck Route

A worker shovels dirt at the TA-61 soil cleanup site. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Corrective Actions Program has begun a legacy-contaminant soil cleanup project at the former Technical Area 61.

Located on the south side of East Jemez Road adjacent to the county landfill, the project began Aug. 11 and will last until mid-September. Crews will excavate about 120 cubic yards of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are common in industrial sites, from a utility corridor where a leaking transformer was staged in the past.

The contamination is underground, covered with clean soil, and poses no human health risks.

“This is yet another step in a larger effort to clean up sites around Los Alamos that are more accessible to the public,” Corrective Actions Program Director Dave McInroy said. “We hope to increase this type of work during the next two years.”

Crews will use an excavator to remove contaminated soil and replace it with fresh fill. The work will occur behind temporary fencing and is not expected to impact traffic.

“We look forward to doing this work safely and returning the site in good environmental condition, which will not restrict future use,” McInroy said.

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