NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT
REVISED DRAFT HAZARDOUS WASTE PERMIT
FOR LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) intends to issue a 600-page hazardous waste permit to the Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratory (DOE/LANL) to store and treat hazardous waste and to close hazardous waste disposal units in accordance with the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act and the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). At this public meeting NMED will present an overview of the hazardous waste permit and the regulations that requires any industry that generates hazardous waste to ensure that it is handled responsibly from "cradle to grave." The final permit will allow DOE/LANL to handle 1/4 million pounds of hazardous and radioactive waste mixed with hazardous waste each year during the 10-year time span of the permit.

Some very important basic requirements for management of hazardous waste are found in federal and state laws and regulations, and include requirements for the DOE/LANL to:

• Protect groundwater from migrating contamination;

• Provide early, often, continuous and meaningful contact with the public;

• Establish an Information Repository for permit documents;

• Have the capability to respond and manage emergencies in units handling hazardous waste;

• Ensure all 26 hazardous waste facilities, or units, are located in seismically-safe zones;

• Provide financial documents that say they will have funding available in order to cleanup the facilities when they are done using them;

Procedures for submitting written comments, requests for a public hearing, and a copy of the revised draft Permit are also available at the Department's Web site: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/HWB/lanlperm.html under Revised Draft Permit (July 6, 2009).

Email to John E. Kieling, Program Manager, Hazardous Waste Bureau, New Mexico Environment Department at john.kieling@state.nm.us