Los Alamos National Lab’s Flanged Tritium Waste Container (FTWC) Venting in Pueblo Communities

Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) has proposed the Flanged Tritium Waste Container venting, four containers, near LANL and neighboring Pueblos. Tewa Women United (TWU) took a position alongside many other concerned citizens and organizations opposing the FTWC venting and started a petition on Change.org called “Protect Vulnerable New Mexico Communities: Halt Radioactive Tritium Release from LANL,” that accumulated 3,112 signatures that helped postpone the proposed venting on April 1st 2020. The All Pueblo Council of Governors also released a press release on March, 30th in opposition that alluded to the lack of tribal consultation as well as the lack of capacity in tribal governments due to COVID19. 

The All Pueblo Council of Governers is set to give public comment to the NM Hazardous Waste Committee Meeting on September, 9th. It’s been stated that the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) and NM Hazardous Waste Board (NM HWB) do not oversee radiological contamination from LANL and that all radiological contamination remediation and radiological release approvals are under the regulatory authority of the Department of Energy (DOE). Even though it is the responsibility of NMED to ensure safety regulations for New Mexico citizens. In 2009 DOE enacted a policy, Order 144.1, to ensure responsible interactions and consultation with sovereign tribal nations that we believe aren't being upheld. 

This is also an environmental concern for all downstream water users. Studies have shown radionuclides to appear in bed sediment and fish tissue samples in Cochiti Lake which could reach the main Rio Grande tributary. 

  • Sediment samples containing plutonium and uranium; even since the beginning of the Manhattan Project (1940-1950s)

  • Radionuclide Concentrations in the bed sediment and fish tissue

  • Studies of radionuclides that collect in the bed sediment and fish tissue of Lake Cochiti and Rio Grande main tributary  

  • Radionuclides in sediment samples: Cesium, tritium, strontium, plutonium, americium, total uranium, and alpha, beta, and gamma activity

Demands: 

  • Halt Radioactive Tritium Release from LANL 

  • Halt expansion of plutonium PIT production

  • Conduct further studies on sediment and water quality in Cochiti Lake

    • Further research on radionuclides in bed sediment and fish tissue 

  • Meaningful tribal consultation with sovereign Pueblo nations

  • Uphold historic cooperative agreements with involved sovereign Pueblo nations: Cochiti, Jemez, San Ildefonso, and Santa Clara 

References:

https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/29/039/29039148.pdf

https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7387

https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri994258/pdf/wri99-4258.pdf

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/DOE%20O%20144.1.pdf

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