It has been raining in Northern New Mexico this week, providing many blessings of moisture and delaying the proposed venting of radioactive tritium from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), at least for now.  Importantly, the New Mexico Environment Department continues its review of LANL’s application for “temporary authorization” to vent up to 30,000 curies of tritium into the air from four Flanged Tritium Waste Containers, or FTWCs. 

Thirty thousand curies is about three grams of tritium.  This is the same amount of tritium as Japan is dumping into the Pacific Ocean over the span of 30 years from the 2011 tsunami and nuclear reactor explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.  https://www.npr.org/2023/08/24/1195419846/fukushima-radioactive-water-japan

But the U.S. Department of Energy, which owns and operates LANL, estimates there are 100,000 curies in the four containers.  The proposed venting could occur over a period of years.  https://www.lanl.gov/engage/environment/ftwc, anwer to question No. 11.  It states there are “approximately 114,000 curies.”

This is an example of DOE not updating its website about the latest information about the venting.  It is also an example of the growing need for DOE to host in person and virtual public meetings in the villages, towns and communities downwind and downstream of LANL where there are opportunities to communicate about concerns, alternatives to venting and associated issues.

The draft LANL SWEIS states:  “The actual release of tritium would be dependent on the efficiency of the tritium capture system but not exceed 30,000 curies for any 12-month period. NNSA would limit annual tritium releases from FTWC venting to ensure that the total annual MEI dose (considering all sitewide releases) would remain less than 10 millirem/year.”  Draft LANL SWEIS, Volume 2, PDF p. 281, parentheses in the original. The acronym MEI is for “maximally exposed individual” of the public (not workers).  https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/draft-eis-0552-lanl-site-wide-vol2-2025-01_0.pdf

DOE admitted that there is no urgency to vent.  It stated, “There is no urgency for this project beyond the broader mission goals to reduce onsite waste liabilities.”  https://www.lanl.gov/engage/environment/ftwc

In a 2023 response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Dallas, Texas, DOE stated, “The currently controlled venting process will be unfeasible at some point in the near future.  Based on modeling, that time is likely less than 4 [to] 5 years, [or 2028].”  https://cdn.lanl.gov/files/ftwc-epa-response-attachment_3e0de.pdf

The draft LANL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) speaks of “a one-time release of up to 30,000 curies of tritium from venting flanged tritium waste containers.”  Draft LANL SWEIS, Volume 1, page 5-44.  https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/draft-eis-0552-lanl-site-wide-vol1-2025-01_0.pdf

There are 11 references to 30,000 curies in the draft SWEIS.

It is estimated that the four containers hold 100,000 curies of tritium.  But we don’t know because DOE has yet to sample the gas in the headspace of the containers.  It is unconscionable for DOE to vent the containers without sampling the headspace gas first to determine the contents and the amount of tritium. 

Further, DOE is required by its own regulations to conduct an ALARA review.  ALARA stands for “as low as reasonably achievable,” a guide for reducing exposure to radiation.  Such a review is essential to understand the potential exposures to all living beings.  DOE has refused to conduct an ALARA review.   DOE Order 458.1.   https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6418a35a30fed803c21f2bb1/t/67f56186a8839051f6ccd219/1744134535700/Rainfall+implications+of+Los+Alamos+tritium+venting+proposal+-+interpretation+of+modeling+results+Arjun+Makhijani+final+2024-03-28.pdf, pp. 6-8

Tewa Women United and Communities for Clean Water have commissioned four studies by three technical experts about the proposed venting.  The reports are available at https://tewawomenunited.org/2024/11/action-alert-stop-tritium-venting-and-protect-the-most-vulnerable and https://www.ccwnewmexico.org/general-2

Take action today!  Please sign the Action Network petition opposing the proposed venting at <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-to-deny-lanls-request-to-release-radioactive-tritium-into-the-air" targ