No Tritium Venting from LANL this Week
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 https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-to-deny-lanls-request-to-release-radioactive-tritium-into-the-air
Then write a letter to the editor asking how you will be informed if and when may NMED approves the temporary authorization to vent the tritium. Please include how much notice you will need – hours, days or weeks – before the venting could occur.
- Join us on Friday, June 6th from noon to 1 pm
at the intersection of East Alameda and Sandoval for the weekly one-hour peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament and against expanded plutonium pit production at LANL. Join the weekly peaceful protest with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, New Mexico Peace Fest, Pax Christi and others. Bring your flags, signs and banners in support of nuclear weapons disarmament.
- Watch the “Television Event”
2:13 minute trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S5RGRsTwjM It is about the television movie of the week during about nuclear war during the Reagan administration.
- Thursday, June 12th from 5 to 7 pm –
in person and virtual LANL Environmental Management Cleanup Forum at Cities of Gold, Tribal Room, 10 Cities of Gold Road, Pojoaque.
Virtual Meeting Information
Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 289 358 365 894
Meeting Password: c7XX7Zx2
Or
Dial in by phone
United States, Los Angeles
Phone Conference ID: 593 496 135#
If you have any questions, please contact N3Boutreach@em-la.doe.gov.
- Sunday, July 13th –
Interfaith Remembrance of the Trinity Test: 80 Years and Still Waiting – doors open at 2pm and event starts at 2:30, St. Pius X School, 5301 St. Josephs Drive NW, Albuquerque, NM. 80 year ago the U.S. government did not warn New Mexicans about the atomic bomb Trinity Test. To this day, downwinders of the first atomic bomb test have never been acknowledged or compensated. Today we are locked in a second nuclear arms race and again New Mexico plays a crucial role. It is long overdue that the nuclear powers honor their promises in international treaties to rid the world of the most dangerous weapons.
Free event — all are welcome, reservations recommended. RSVP here.
- SAVE THE DATE – SATURDAY, JULY 19TH at 7:30 am
– 46TH ANNUAL URANIUM MILL TAILINGS SPILL COMMEMORATION HELD IN RED WATER POND ROAD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION. https://swuraniumimpacts.org/
Each year, the community of Red Water Pond hosts a commemoration of the uranium mill tailings spill that took place 46 years ago and continues to impact local community members. These gatherings include speakers, tabling, a silent auction, and a walk commemorating the spill. https://swuraniumimpacts.org/red-water-pond-road-community-association/
Tags: 000 curies, 30, Action Network petition, ALARA, as low as reasonably achievable, Communities for Clean Water, Department of Energy, DOE, DOE Order 458.1, EPA, Flanged Tritium Waste Containers, FTWC, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, maximally exposed individual, MEI, National Nuclear Security Administration, New Mexico Environment Department, NNSA, potential exposures, radioactive tritium, sampling headspace gas, site-wide environmental impact statement, SWEIS, temporary authorization, Tewa Women United, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, write a letter to the editor
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