Plutonium-239 and Chromium-6 contamination at Los alamos national laboratory

Analyzing contaminant migration and assessing remediation

The goal of our project was to assess the presence and migration of plutonium-239 from MDA-C and chromium-6 from TA-5 using available environmental sampling data to inform ongoing debates about remediation approaches on the property. Our analyses serve the purpose of supporting our sponsor, Nuclear Watch New Mexico (NukeWatch), in their safety and environmental protection efforts. NukeWatch has long lobbied for remediation at LANL and calls for more transparency in operational activities at the laboratory. The team delivered on our goal for NukeWatch by:

1. Collecting data about plutonium-2239 and chromium-6 contamination in Los Alamos National Laboratory property and surrounding areas available from a publicly accessible database.

2. Assessing migration of plutonium-239 and chromium-6 in soil and waterborne samples over time.

3. Assessing the feasibility and resilience of remedial options for Material Disposal Area C and the chromium plume.