Los Alamos Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

For the past decade, IEc has supported the Trustees for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) site in planning and implementing one of the largest and most complex full-scale natural resource damage assessments (NRDA). This assessment is examining the extent to which hazardous substances released from our nation’s weapons development program may have adversely affected biological and groundwater resources, as well as adjacent Pueblo communities. IEc guided the Trustees through a complex planning process, culminating in the publication of a Damage Assessment Plan for the site. This Plan calls for cutting-edge NRDA methods to support potential restoration planning efforts. IEc is currently leading a series of assessment activities defined in the Plan, including establishing the baseline services provided by groundwater, characterizing primary contaminants of concern released from the site, and assisting the Pueblos in determining if LANL releases may have affected their communities. We are performing this work under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with a Trustee Council comprising representatives of the State of New Mexico, U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Jemez, and Santa Clara Pueblo.