Los Alamos

Charles Nakhleh became the new deputy director for weapons at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico effective April 1, lab management announced recently. Nakhleh assumes the post following the March 31 retirement of Robert Webster, who finished up a 40-year career with the nuclear security enterprise, according to a recent […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright confirmed Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has “just begun” pit production in testimony Wednesday to the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on the fiscal 2027 budget request for the Department of Energy. Wright was responding to a question by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the […]

Charles Nakhleh became the new deputy director for weapons at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico effective April 1, lab management announced recently. Nakhleh assumes the post following the March 31 retirement of Robert Webster, who finished up a 40-year career with the nuclear security enterprise, according to a recent […]

Jessica Kunkle is the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) newest acting associate administrator for the Office of Infrastructure, a spokesperson for the agency told Exchange Monitor Thursday. Kunkle will be taking over for Nicole Nelson-Jean, who as of March principal associate administrator of NNSA’s Office of Environment, Safety and Health. The Office of Infrastructure is […]

The Los Alamos Study Group and Nuclear Watch New Mexico published separate statements this week criticizing the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request for an increase in funding plutonium pit production and decrease to nonproliferation and non-weapons science programs. “Throughout this budget it is global dominance, not global cooperation, that is the stated theme. U.S. […]

The Los Alamos Study Group and Nuclear Watch New Mexico published separate statements this week criticizing the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request for an increase in funding plutonium pit production and decrease to nonproliferation and non-weapons science programs. “Throughout this budget it is global dominance, not global cooperation, that is the stated theme. U.S. […]

A New Mexico watchdog group says recent federal analyses point to growing pressure to expand plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), potentially beyond currently scoped capacity. The group refers to the lab’s most recently released record of decision and site-wide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), an analysis required by the National Environmental Policy […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is looking at using a major facility at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory for treatment of some of NNSA’s future waste streams, according to a safety board report. On Feb. 17, NNSA and members of the Amentum-led environmental cleanup contractor for Idaho National Laboratory met “to discuss […]

A New Mexico watchdog group says recent federal analyses point to growing pressure to expand plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), potentially beyond currently scoped capacity. The group refers to the lab’s most recently released record of decision and site-wide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), an analysis required by the National Environmental Policy […]

The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Wednesday released its final site-wide environmental impact statement and its record of decision to implement an “expanded operations alternative” at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. “Expanded operations” means exactly what it sounds like: all activities at Los Alamos will continue as they […]

The Department of Energy’s Northern New Mexico Site-Specific Advisory Board heard March 19 DOE is facing $16 million in potential civil penalties for multiple violations assessed under a February compliance order from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that proposes. The fines were assessed by the state under a Feb. 11 administrative compliance order partly […]

The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Wednesday released its final site-wide environmental impact statement and its record of decision to implement an “expanded operations alternative” at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. “Expanded operations” means exactly what it sounds like: all activities at Los Alamos will continue as they […]

The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Wednesday released its final site-wide environmental impact statement and its record of decision to implement an “expanded operations alternative” at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. “Expanded operations” means exactly what it sounds like: all activities at Los Alamos will continue as they […]

The org chart is in flux at the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos National Laboratory field office where Jessica Kunkle will be rotating out to fill another supervisory role within DOE, the Northern New Mexico Site-Specific Advisory Board heard Thursday evening. Stanley Pyram, previously chief engineer at the Savannah River Site in South […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking:  March:  16: Ukraine Nuclear Briefing: The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe holds a briefing on “Nuclear Power and Nuclear Powers: Lessons from Ukraine” starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time at Cannon House Office Building, Room 360 in Washington, D.C.  19: […]

The Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office and its cleanup contractor will update stakeholders on storm water runoff issues Wednesday starting at 2 p.m. Mountain Time. Specifically, DOE and contractor Newport News Nuclear-BWXT Los Alamos (N3B) will discuss the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s storm water individual permit. The permit is issued through […]

The Department of Energy is reviewing responses to a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Legacy Cleanup Contract at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The deadline for responding to the draft RFP was Thursday Feb. 26. The DOE Office of Environmental Management plans to eventually issue a final RFP to continue legacy remediation at […]

The Department of Energy is seeking responses to a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Legacy Cleanup Contract at the Los Alamos National Laboratory by Thursday Feb. 26. The DOE Office of Environmental Management plans to eventually issue a final RFP to continue legacy remediation at Los Alamos. The business is now held by […]

A proposed University of Michigan computing center will support research related to nuclear weapons and plutonium pit development for Los Alamos National Laboratory, a lab spokesperson told the Exchange Monitor in an email. “Los Alamos is partnering with the University of Michigan on a high-performance computing center,” the spokesperson said, adding it would not be […]

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is taking enforcement action against the Department of Energy, saying DOE has failed to prioritize legacy nuclear cleanup at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In a Wednesday press release, NMED said it was issuing orders to hold DOE “accountable” for footdragging in moving old defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste from […]

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is taking enforcement action against the Department of Energy, saying DOE has failed to prioritize legacy nuclear cleanup at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In a Wednesday press release, NMED said it was issuing orders to hold DOE “accountable” for foot-dragging in moving old defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste from […]

ARLINGTON, VA – The site-wide environmental impact statement for Los Alamos National Laboratory powerline is done, the lab’s field office manager told the Exchange Monitor Monday on the first day of the Nuclear Deterrence Summit. Ted Wyka, field office manager for the Manhattan Project-era lab, said the lab is just waiting to finish up consultations […]

The Huntington Ingalls Industries-led legacy waste contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico won 95% of its total available fee from the Department of Energy in fiscal 2025. Newport News Nuclear BWXT)-Los Alamos (N3B) earned more than $15.8 million out of a potential $16.7 million in fee for its 12 months of […]

After New Mexico again in November suspended certain Department of Energy efforts to control a hexavalent chromium plume at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the manager of federal legacy cleanup there said last week the parties are looking for solutions. On Nov. 18, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) withdrew its temporary authorization for continuation […]

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Los Alamos National Laboratory “exceeded all” objectives for producing the fissile cores of the nation’s nuclear weapons, the lab’s director Thom Mason told the Exchange Monitor Monday at the Nuclear Deterrence Summit. NNSA produced a “diamond-stamped,” or war-reserve quality, first production unit of a W87-1 plutonium […]

ARLINGTON, VA – The site-wide environmental impact statement for Los Alamos National Laboratory powerline is done, the lab’s field office manager told the Exchange Monitor Monday on the first day of the Nuclear Deterrence Summit. Ted Wyka, field office manager for the Manhattan Project-era lab, said the lab is just waiting to finish up consultations […]

The Huntington Ingalls Industries-led legacy waste contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico won 95% of its total available fee from the Department of Energy in fiscal 2025. Newport News Nuclear BWXT)-Los Alamos (N3B) earned more than $15.8 million out of a potential $16.7 million in fee for its 12 months of […]

After New Mexico again in November suspended certain Department of Energy efforts to control a hexavalent chromium plume at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the manager of federal legacy cleanup there said last week the parties are looking for solutions. On Nov. 18, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) withdrew its temporary authorization for continuation […]

Work crews at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will start demolition of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) old Ion Beam Facility this year, a DOE cleanup manager said Wednesday. “We are going to tear down the ion beam and remove the slab” starting in 2026, Jessica Kunkle, who […]

Work crews at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will start demolition of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) old Ion Beam Facility this year, a DOE cleanup manager said Wednesday. “We are going to tear down the ion beam and remove the slab” starting in 2026, Jessica Kunkle, who […]