LANL faces possible fine of nearly $800,000
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By DEBORAH BAKER | Associated Press
September 16, 2006
Environment Department aims to punish lab for failing to report
contamination

The state Environment Department proposes to fine Los Alamos National
Laboratory nearly $800,000 for failing to report chromium
contamination in a groundwater monitoring well in 2004 and 2005.
According to the department, the lab ignored requirements that such
contamination be reported promptly.

The state agency Friday issued a notice of violation to the lab —
proposing a penalty of $795,620 — and offered to enter into settlement
discussions. "New Mexico's groundwater is the source of drinking water
for the vast majority of our citizens and the amount of this penalty
reflects this importance," Environment Secretary Ron Curry said in a
statement. Settlement talks, which could result in a
lower-than-proposed fine, would include a discussion of cleanup, said
Marissa Stone, a department spokeswoman.

The well, in Mortandad Canyon, monitors the aquifer that residents of
Los Alamos and White Rock rely on for drinking water, the department
said. Drinking water supplies for communities are regularly
scrutinized, and didn't show chromium levels above state standards.

LANL spokesman Jeff Berger said the lab began last year to improve its
communications with, and responsiveness to, the Environment Department.

The lab's new management team, Los Alamos National Security, includes
the University of California — the previous operator — and Bechtel
Corp., BWX Technologies Inc. and Washington Group International.

"We take very, very seriously our obligation to inform the department
and ... the public about environmental issues and how we're addressing
them," Berger said.

He said the lab is trying to determine the extent of chromium
contamination and within a month should have in place a so-called
sentry well that would alert officials whether the chromium plume was
approaching the water supply.

It's the second alleged violation by LANL of an environmental cleanup
consent order that took effect in March 2005, the department said.
The agency on July 12 contended the lab and the U.S. Department of
Energy had disposed of potentially hazardous waste at the municipal
landfill in Los Alamos in November 2005 and recommended a penalty of
nearly $89,000. That case is still in negotiations, Stone said.

Friday's notice of violation stemmed from four groundwater samples
taken from the Mortandad Canyon well in January 2004 and in May,
September and November 2005.

They detected toxic hexavalent chromium — which is known to cause
cancer and liver and kidney damage — at four times the drinking water
standard and eight times the state groundwater quality standard,
according to the department.

LANL didn't report the findings until late 2005, although the March
2005 order required notice in writing within 15 days, the department said.