After New Mexico Saturday levied more than $54 million in fines against the Department of Energy for violations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, members of the state’s Congressional delegation have announced support for the fine. The New Mexico Environment Department levied a $17.7 million fine for 13 violations at WIPP and $36.6 million for 24 violations at LANL, all linked to the Feb. 14 radiation release at WIPP. “The action the state has taken is appropriate and shows why I have long fought for state environmental authority over WIPP waste operations. WIPP and LANL are a vital part of New Mexico’s economy and our national security, and with such high stakes, there is no room for error or denial,” Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) said in a statement. DOE did not respond to request for comment this weekend on the fine.
NMED Secretary Ryan Flynn has emphasized that the fines should not come out of cleanup budgets, and warned that more compliance actions are on the way. Udall agreed. “Fines should not come out of DOE clean-up activities, and those responsible should not get bonuses or rewards for their mistakes. Further investigation into what led to the radiation release at WIPP will determine whether more penalties or action are necessary," he said. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) also backed the state’s actions. “The State’s action is warranted and I agree that these fines should not jeopardize completing the environmental cleanup at Los Alamos National Lab and WIPP,” he said. “Our nation’s security relies heavily on the important work being done at these facilities, which are also big employers and critical to New Mexico’s economy.”
NMED has left the door open for potential penalty reductions through corrective actions by DOE, and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) called for DOE and the state to work together on improvements. “The state’s compliance orders issued today to WIPP and LANL concur with what has already been stated for some time about the February 5 and 14 incidents. In discussions with DOE Secretary Moniz, the Department has started serious work in implementing new policies and procedures at the plant,” he said in a statement. “We need to work together to ensure the plant is up to standards and is back in safe, full operation. I am hopeful that NMED and DOE will work together to mitigate the significant fines for the benefit of all."
