Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is located in Los Alamos County. It is adjacent to the Santa Fe National Forest, Bandelier National Monument, and the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, and covers approximately 36 square miles. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), along with LANL's Management and Operating contractor, and the New Mexico Environment Department entered into a Compliance Order on Consent on March 1, 2005, for the purpose of investigating and remediating soils, sediments and groundwater contaminated by hazardous wastes and other constituents of concern.

The Natural Resource Trustees for LANL have established the LANL Natural Resource Trustee Council.  The objective of the Trustee Council is to determine if natural resources have been injured as a result of activities at LANL and to implement the appropriate resource restoration actions. Trustee Council members include the New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT), the Pueblo De San Ildefonso, the Pueblo of Jemez, the Pueblo of Santa Clara, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the DOE.  All of the Trustee Council members are trustees for natural resources within the meaning of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA). In addition to its role as trustee, DOE, which owns and operates LANL, is a potentially responsible party. The Trustee Council members (Trustees) have agreed to participate in a cooperative assessment process to encourage timely and cost-effective solutions to injury assessment and resource restoration.

The Trustee Council has issued the Preassessment Screen for Los Alamos National Laboratory (Preassessment Screen)*. The Preassessment Screen represents the first step of the natural resource damage assessment for the LANL site and the surrounding areas. To develop the Preassessment Screen, the Trustees conducted a preliminary review of available LANL data and documents. Based on this review, the Trustees concluded that various operations at LANL have resulted in the release of hazardous substances or oil that have likely injured natural resources and that it is reasonable to proceed with a natural resource damage assessment.  The assessment will address natural resources both at the LANL site and all other areas where natural resources may have been injured by release of hazardous substances (including radionuclides) or discharge of oil from the site.

Draft Damage Assessment Plan

Los Alamos National Laboratory and surroundings.