NMED News:

SANTA FE — Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have informed the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that they have completed treatment of four flanged tritium waste containers.

NNSA stated no significant emissions were released during the treatment process.  NNSA monitored the total emissions to be around 0.005 millirems. For comparison, the exposure an individual receives during a round-trip cross-country flight is approximately 3.7 millirems.

NMED staff performed on-site air monitoring during all treatment events and will publish its own data after verification, taking around 30 days.

“The New Mexico Environment Department conducted oversight of the treatment process, assuring the National Nuclear Security Administration followed state requirements,” said Rick Shean, Resource Protection Division Director for the Environment Department. “Our oversight work is far from over. NNSA’s final report, which will include monitoring data, is an important step in maintaining scientific transparency, public accountability, and compliance with state rules.”

Background and Operations Recap

The four containers — containing the radioactive isotope tritium and lead — were originally packaged at LANL’s Weapons Engineering Treatment Facility (WETF) in 2007. These four containers were later designated as mixed waste and stored on the outskirts of LANL’s property instead of being treated at the time the waste was generated.

In June 2019, NNSA requested a temporary authorization to depressurize the containers on-site, as the possibility of said pressure prevented the containers from being transported to a final disposal site.

The Environment Department’s mission is to protect and restore the environment and to foster a healthy and prosperous New Mexico for present and future generations.

NMED issued a temporary authorization permitting NNSA to depressurize the four containers at Technical Area 54 (TA-54) on Sept. 4, 2025, after LANL and NNSA completed multiple additional requirements placed on them by the Department in June 2025.

Depressurization of the containers began on Sept. 16 and ended on Sept. 23.

The schedule of treatment operations, which were monitored by NMED and the Environmental Protection Agency, was as follows: 

• Sept. 16 – The first flanged tritium waste container was depressurized, finding zero pressure in the container headspace;
• Sept. 20 – The second container was depressurized, finding zero pressure in the container headspace;
• Sept. 21 – The third container was depressurized, finding zero pressure in the container headspace; and
• Sept. 23 – The fourth container was depressurized, finding zero pressure in the container headspace.

According to NNSA, all four containers contained no measurable pressure, indicating there was no pressure buildup from tritium in the container headspace.

NNSA is required to issue a public final report outlining the treatment operations within 30 days of completing the treatment process, including emission data collected during depressurization.

NMED received more than 50 constituent inquiries during the treatment process, many of which criticized LANL and NNSA for a lack of transparency and real-time information. As part of its temporary authorization, LANL and NNSA are required to hold a public meeting within 30 days of the conclusion of treatment operations.