In the latest issue to come to light linked to the incidents at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory last week reported noncompliances in how it processed waste in the drums suspected of contributing to the WIPP release. The Department of Energy and contractor Los Alamos National Security reported the noncompliances to the New Mexico Environment Department in a July 1 letter, stating tha the issues were related to methods used to process waste in drums containing nitrate salt–at least one of which has been linked to the WIPP release. While LANL is allowed to process waste under its permit, it cannot take further steps to treat the waste. “Some of the methods that they used to neutralize the liquids they encountered during remediation of the nitrate salt drums went beyond the activities that are allowed in their current permit and actually encompassed treating the waste,” NMED Secretary Ryan Flynn told WC Monitor. “They would need to get another permit in order to treat the waste at LANL or they would need to send the waste to a properly permitted site like Idaho National Laboratory.”
While the exact trigger of the WIPP release is unknown, some theories have centered on an interaction between materials used to process nitrate-bearing waste from LANL. It is uncertain whether the non-compliances played a role in the release. NMED is currently conducting its own investigation into the events at Los Alamos and WIPP, and is awaiting its results before deciding on any potential penalties. “We’re not going to wait forever for DOE to come out with their conclusion before we take the actions we believe are appropriate,” Flynn said. “We are currently investigating the regulatory issues associated with the event that occurred in the underground at the WIPP as well as at the laboratory with any of the issues that are beginning to come to come to light right now. Those investigations, both at the WIPP site and at LANL, are underway.”
LANL said that it found the noncompliances in its own investigation. “As part of our ongoing internal investigation, we have identified shortcomings in the processing procedures that led to actions not covered by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Hazardous Waste Facility Permit,” a Lab spokesman said in a statement. “The Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Department of Energy formally self-reported instances of non-compliance to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). The instances of non-compliance were discovered as part of the internal investigation into the damaged container that originated from the Los Alamos National Laboratory that was placed in Panel 7 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) where a radioactive release occurred on February 14, 2014. The focus is now on correcting these processes, in addition to ongoing recovery work.”
