SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A contractor overseeing operations at a National Laboratory in New Mexico lost track of 250 barrels of waste in the past year, an annual report on hazardous waste violations said.
Triad National Security LLC had 19 violations of its permit from the New Mexico Environment Department after the contractor mislabeled and improperly stored waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported Monday.
Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos which is managing a 10-year cleanup of waste generated at the lab was cited 29 times.
The barrels filled with low-level radioactive waste and other hazardous materials were shipped to a waste plant in Carlsbad without tracking, regulators said. The records still listed the waste at the lab, inspectors said.
“There was no risk to public health or safety and the inventory is now correct,” spokesman Matt Nerzig said, adding that shipping updates now will be done when waste leaves the lab.
Lab personnel were awaiting arrival of the waste to the plant before updating the shipping data, he said.
Mislabeled containers should be taken seriously because they can cause incidents if the contents aren’t identified, said Scott Kovac, research and operations director for Nuclear Watch New Mexico.
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