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	1	Waste Isolation Pilot Plant	2	Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
	•	Occupies 10,240 acres, 26 miles from Carlsbad	•	A 43 square mile laboratory located 60 miles northeast of Albuquerque
	•	Authorized by Congress in 1979 to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive waste from defense activities of the Federal government	•	Will provide permanent disposal of transuranic radioactive waste from defense activities
	•	Occupies 10,240 acres, 26 miles from Carlsbad	•	Mission remains focused on national security research

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Sites Originally mined uranium for U.S. nuclear weapons development. Current program goals are to remediate surface and groundwater contamination caused by residual tailings remaining after uranium was extracted during milling operations. 3 Ambrosia Lake - 570 acre site owned by various parties between 1957 and 1981. The site is currently owned by the State of New Mexico 4 Shiprock - 230 acre site leased by various companies between 1954 and 1968 from the Navajo Nation. Full control of the site reverted back to the Navajo Nation when Foote Mineral Company’s lease expired in 1973 OTHER SITES 5 Gasbuggy and Gnome-Coach Site - Located near Farmington and Carlsbad respectively, the sites were used to detonate nuclear explosives to determine the effects and products of a nuclear explosion in a salt medium 6 Sandia National Laboratories/ New Mexico - 2,820 acre site located on the Kirtland Air Force Base. The laboratory was created in the 1940s as the engineering arm of the nuclear weapons development program. SNL’s mission has evolved to include research associated with a wide range of scientific disciplines 7 South Valley Superfund Site - Located in Albuquerque, this site was used to produce weapons components between 1951 and 1967. The DOE is involved at the site as one of three Potentially Responsible Parties under CERCLA

Public Participation and the FY 1999 EM Budget Development Process

The Office of Environmental Management currently is formulating its FY 1999 budget and encourages public comment. The public comment period is open through July 18, 1997. The current outyear targets for EM are $5.5 billion for FY 1999 through FY 2002, plus specified additional amounts for privatization. The Office of Management and Budget will re-examine these targets for the program for FY 1999 and beyond based on EM’s analyses of the program at $5.5 and $6.0 billion planning levels. Additionally, the recent agreement between the President and the Congressional leadership to balance the Federal budget by 2002 will directly affect the level of the EM budget for FY 1999 through FY 2002. Future budgets for EM will be required to be consistent with this agreement.

EM is proposing a strategy to accelerate site cleanup and improve productivity, with a focus on completing work at as many sites as possible by 2006. Stated goals are selected summaries of the proposals for acceleration contained in the discussion drafts of the EM site plans accompanying the EM report, Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006, which is available for public comment.

All environmental restoration activities within the State of New Mexico will be complete by 2006. Operation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, which is instrumental to the achievement of the national Environmental Management vision, will continue beyond 2006, as will surveillance and monitoring at many sites within the state.

Carlsbad Area Office The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP): WIPP currently is scheduled to begin receiving transuranic waste in May of FY 1998. Although WIPP’s mission will require operations beyond FY 2006, operational enhancements contained in the WIPP 2006 site plan will contribute significantly to the successful acceleration of EM site closures throughout the country. For further information contact Mr. Dennis Hurtt (505) 234-7327 Sites Managed by the Albuquerque Operations Office Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL): LANL will complete current environmental restoration of release sites and decommissioning of surplus facilities by 2006 under either the $6.0 or $5.5 billion planning scenario. Long-term surveillance and monitoring will be required for residual contamination left in place at the large material disposal areas and canyons to ensure that migration from the sites is minimized. Regulatory closure and Decommissioning of facilities for transuranic waste characterization will be conducted in FY 2007 or FY 2011 for the $6.0 or $5.5 billion planning scenarios respectively. Ambrosia lake and Shiprock (UMTRA) Sites: Surface remediation has been completed and responsibility for the long-term surveillance and monitoring will be transferred to the Grand Junction Office in FY 1998. Groundwater contamination is below maximum contaminant and background levels. The NRC licensed disposal cell will require long-term surveillance and maintenance. Sandia National Laboratory at New Mexico: SNL will complete current environmental restoration activities by the end of 2001 under either of the two evaluated planning scenarios. The Department will continue to manage environmental quality and wastes generated by on-going Departmental defense missions beyond FY 2006. These continuing activities likely will include remedial action at individual sites on the Kirtland Federal Complex, where the activities of the laboratory may have some low-level environmental impact. The cost of future remedial action is expected to be borne by DOE Defense Programs. South Valley Superfund Site: Environmental restoration activities are expected to be completed in FY 1997. A private party eventually may purchase the site. Maintenance of the groundwater treatment system will be ongoing for 10 years. For further information contact Ms. Tracy Loughead (505) 845-5977 Sites Managed by the Nevada Operations Office Gasbuggy and Gnome-Coach Sites: Surface soils will be remediated to levels acceptable for unrestricted use by FY 2006. Institutional control of the subsurfaces will be retained, and the groundwater will be monitored to ensure that there is no risk to the public. Long-term subsurface monitoring and surveillance of the sites is planned for up to 100 years. For further information contact Mr. Kevin Rohrer (702) 295-0197

Accomplishment of EM goals depends on achievement of enhanced performance objectives, future funding levels, and Departmental programmatic decisions. EM is committed to full compliance with environmental and other legal requirements. The Department of Energy will request sufficient funds to comply with environmental requirements. EM also intends to meet its commitments to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. EM could achieve compliance at the $6.0 billion planning scenario at all sites if enhanced performances are achieved, but schedule and funding modifications may be necessary at some sites. At the $5.5 billion planning level, achieving compliance would be more difficult at several sites even with enhanced performance, and many other high-priority activities would not be possible.