Los Alamos Waste Shipments Rise 107% Amid Cleanup
Federal settlement on a long-running chromium plume remains unsigned as a New Mexico senator weighs legislation.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Nuclear
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Should the federal government be required by state law to clean up the chromium plume?
Federal officials have not yet signed a settlement agreement on cleanup of a hexavalent chromium plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Meanwhile, the lab's legacy transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant rose 107% compared with last year.
Why it matters
The chromium plume has migrated to San Ildefonso Pueblo, and Sen. Jeff Steinborn is considering a bill mandating federal cleanup if no settlement is reached. Lawmakers are weighing how quickly and by whom the contamination will be addressed.
Fiscal 2026 records show 89 shipments totaling 403 cubic meters of transuranic waste sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a 107% increase in legacy waste shipments over last year. It remains unresolved when the chromium plume settlement will be signed and what technical fix will be applied.
The players
Los Alamos National Laboratory
A federal research facility in New Mexico managed by a contractor, long associated with nuclear weapons development and now responsible for legacy waste and contamination cleanup.
Sen. Jeff Steinborn
A New Mexico state senator who is considering legislation to mandate federal cleanup of the chromium plume if a settlement is not reached.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
A federal deep geologic repository near Carlsbad, New Mexico, where transuranic waste from defense programs is permanently disposed.
The details
From 1956 to 1972, workers at a gas-fired power plant at Los Alamos National Laboratory periodically flushed chromium-contaminated water from cooling towers into Sandia Canyon. The resulting underground plume has since migrated to San Ildefonso Pueblo, and federal officials say they will sign off on the settlement agreement.
Timeline
1956 to 1972: Power plant flushes chromium-contaminated water into Sandia Canyon.
Nine weeks before the hearing: Parties reportedly reach a settlement agreement on plume cleanup.
Thursday: Legislative committee hearing on Los Alamos waste cleanup.
Fiscal year 2026: Company delivers 89 waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Big Picture
The surge in legacy shipments continues the flow of Los Alamos transuranic waste into the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant program near Carlsbad. The pending chromium plume settlement adds a separate cleanup track that runs alongside that waste disposal effort.
Residents near Sandia Canyon and San Ildefonso Pueblo may see the chromium plume cleanup shape local water safety decisions. The settlement's outcome will determine whether a technical fix is funded and who carries the work.
The takeaway
Watch whether the chromium plume settlement is signed and whether Sen. Steinborn's bill advances. Both will determine who pays for cleanup and how quickly the contamination is addressed.
Further reading
Explore more on Nuclear developments affecting New Mexico communities and federal facilities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Abqjournal.
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Should the federal government be required by state law to clean up the chromium plume?
