The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and its Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have completed treating four flanged tritium waste containers, according to a Sept. 26 press release by the New Mexico Environment Department.
The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous branch in charge of maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile informed the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) of the completion, according to the release. NNSA reportedly told NMED that “no significant emissions were released during the treatment process.” NMED said it performed its own air monitoring to ensure NNSA followed state requirements, and the department will deliver results in around 30 days.
“Our oversight work is far from over. NNSA’s final report, which will include monitoring data, is an important step in maintaining scientific transparency, public accountability, and compliance with state rules,” Rick Shean, Resource Protection Division Director for NMED, said in the release.
NNSA completed the depressurization of two of the four containers by Sept. 21 and then of all four containers on Sept. 23 at LANL in New Mexico, the release said, and the agency reported finding zero pressure in any of the container headspace. A flanged tritium waste container (FTWC) is a stainless-steel vessel meant for long-term storage of tritium-contaminated waste, according to DOE, and tritium venting is controlled release of tritium from the containers to relieve pressure buildup.