The New Mexico Environment Department and the Department of Energy told a federal judge Monday agency representatives were to meet today, and again later this month, as they seek to cut a new deal for legacy cleanup at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“It is the parties’ intent to use the upcoming meetings to resolve the few remaining issues,” with replacing the 2016 Compliance Order on Consent order for Los Alamos, according to the joint status report filed with the U.S. District Court for New Mexico Monday. “The parties thus ask the Court to extend the stay in this case, until April 8, 2024, with another status report due then.”
“The parties agree that the proposed framework appears to be a viable approach for potential revisions to the Consent Order and a potential settlement of this litigation,” according to the extension request filed Monday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Robbenhaar issued a 90-day extension in October but had not yet formally ruled on the new extension request as of 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time Monday.
The state Environment Department under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) filed suit against the federal government in September 2021, seeking to jettison the 2016 cleanup order negotiated by the prior administration under Gov. Susana Martinez (R).
