Los Alamos Lab remains closed as fire bears down

Image source: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has announced that it will remain closed at least until June 30, because of risks presented by the Las Conchas Fire and the mandatory evacuation of Los Alamos town, marking the fourth day of closure. However, the lab has announced that the radioactive material stored onsite is curently safe.

“Only employees on an essential-duties access list will be permitted back onto Laboratory property during the closure, as notified by their line management. All others are urged to remain off-site until facilities have been safely reopened,” the lab declared.

The lab, which houses nuclear waste and conducts scientific research with various radiological and nuclear substances, is located 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 36-square miles of Department of Energy-owned property. More than 2,000 individual facilities, including 47 technical areas, function on the eight million square foot site.

"All nuclear and hazardous materials, including those at the Lab’s principal waste storage site known as Area G, are accounted for and protected," the lab reported. "LANL monitoring teams detected no releases of radiological or other contaminants."

Media reports have indicated that a team from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Radiological Assistance Program is onsite to evaluate and help deal with actual or perceived nuclear or radiological hazards.

LANL said it implemented a multi-year fire safety improvement program since the 2000 Cerro Grande Fire. The lab purchased more than 35 new fire trucks, service vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment, and built a multimillion-dollar emergency operations center. They also have conducted $20 million worth of tree-thinning operations, clearing of ground fuels and construction of fire breaks and roads across the lab, and built a new interagency fire center with a helicopter base and water dip tanks.