IG: LANL HAS IMPROVED CHARACTERIZATION WELL PROCESSES

Los Alamos National Laboratory has improved processes related to characterization wells at the site since a 2005 report from the Department of Energy’s Inspector General first raised concerns, according to an IG report released yesterday. LANL constructed the 32 wells to characterize contaminants in the site’s groundwater, but the 2005 IG report took issue with the use of mud rotary drilling methods to dig the wells. It also found that mud and other fluids in some wells made them less effective at monitoring contaminants. The follow up report released yesterday noted several improvements. “Los Alamos no longer uses mud rotary drilling methods during well construction, and appropriate steps have been taken to ensure data derived from monitoring wells is reliable,” it states. “We also found that responsibility for the Los Alamos Characterization Wells Monitoring Program had been transferred to the New Mexico Environmental Department.”