Новый Мексико требует ускорить вывоз радиоактивных отходов с полигона Лос-Аламос к 2028 году

New Mexico urges faster removal of radioactive waste from Los Alamos State officials are pressing Los Alamos National Laboratory to accelerate the removal of radioactive waste stored above ground, citing safety concerns and proposing a 2028 deadline for its transfer to a federal facility. Radioactive waste stored above ground at Los Alamos National Laboratory has drawn concern from state officials, who are urging faster removal and proposing changes to prioritize its transfer to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) by July 2028. For decades, radioactive waste has been stored at Area G, with some containers dating back to the Cold War. While lab officials report a reduction in the amount stored above ground, approximately 2,300 containers remain. "You know, New Mexicans have a healthy fear of wildfires, but they don't know there's something worse. And that's wildfires mixed with radiation," said Bury The Barrels Spokesperson Cindy Wheeler. James Kenney, the New Mexico Environment Department Cabinet Secretary, highlighted the risks of degradation, saying, "If there was any kind of degrading of these drums, that would be catastrophic for air quality, and groundwater, which we rely on for drinking water in New Mexico." Lab officials said there are layers of protection in place, including cleared vegetation around the site, domes with concrete foundations, metal frames, fire-retardant materials, and some of which are equipped with fire-suppression systems. "It's a whole process that requires nuclear safety to make sure that, you know, it's not only safe here, but also it's safe once traveling through all these communities on the way down to WIPP," Brian Clayman, CH-TRU Program Manager, said. Containers are X-rayed, tested, and sometimes opened and repackaged before shipment. "We don't do it fast. We do it deliberately; that is the key word," Clayman added. Kenney expressed concerns about the prioritization of Los Alamos' waste at WIPP, where waste from across the country is sent. He said New Mexico has not received the priority it expected and noted that NMED is proposing changes to the facility's permit to address this. "It's a rare day that the Environment Department goes out to a permit and says we're going to change your permit because it's not working. But that's exactly what we did here," Kenney said. Clayman reported progress in waste removal efforts. "I think it is being moved as soon as possible. I mean, this year we've made 74 shipments. That's like an 80% increase on the shipments that we made last year," they said. Kenney reiterated the state's goal of moving the waste as quickly and safely as possible. "That's really what we're trying to do here is move those drums as soon as possible," he said. The Department of Energy in Los Alamos stated, "The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) remains committed to safely shipping transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). EM-LA submitted comments and requested a hearing on the New Mexico Environment Department’s proposed changes for the WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit."