From 1943 until 1963 liquid and often radioactive waste was dumped down a canyon near Los Alamos National Laboratory giving it the name Acid Canyon. Now a dirt trail shaded by pines provides a relatively easy recreation opportunity in that same area.
Dr. Michael Ketterer, a professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, took samples from Acid Canyon and the levels of plutonium surprised him. Ketterer took these samples in coordination with Nuclear Watch New Mexico and presented the results during a press conference on Thursday.
Ketterer said he was surprised to find the high level of plutonium contamination in an area without restricted access.
“What I found here in Acid Canyon is pretty much the most extreme plutonium contamination scenario…in an off-site, uncontrolled environmental setting that I’ve ever seen in my career,” he said.
He compared the levels to samples taken from areas near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where a massive explosion in the 1980s led to a massive release of radioactive matter.
In 1967, the Atomic Energy Commission worked on clean up efforts in Acid Canyon prior to releasing the land to Los Alamos County without any restrictions on uses. The U.S. Department of Energy has also performed remediation efforts and certified that the canyon met the applicable standards and guidelines for cleanup.
Jay Coghlan with Nuclear Watch New Mexico said that during storms the water will send pulses of plutonium down the canyon, through the San Ildefonso Pueblo, and ultimately into the Rio Grande. Plutonium from Los Alamos National Laboratory has been found as far away as Cochiti Lake, about 17 miles to the south.
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Nuclear Watch New Mexico is pushing for increased cleanup of the legacy waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory and is also opposing new plutonium pit production at the site.
While Ketterer said there is a high level of plutonium in Acid Canyon, he said he doesn’t think people need to avoid recreating there. Instead, he said people who live or recreate in Los Alamos should be aware of the contamination.
Ketterer said that the plants in the area can take up the plutonium from the environment, which means it could enter the food chain. He also expressed concerns that future wildfires in the area could cause the dispersal of plutonium through ashes.
Coghlan said there will be more testing done in the Los Alamos areas and that Nuclear Watch New Mexico is pushing for a new environmental impact statement for continued operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory.