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SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

Environmental Programs

These programs have supported U.S. industry, enhanced the nation's environment through environmentally conscious operations in industry, and remediated contaminated DOE sites. SNL/NM environmental projects have included programs in waste reduction, and research for environmentally conscious manufacturing. SNL/NM must restore contaminated SNL sites, comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations, and undertake corrective actions as required by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

In 1989, the DOE created the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER/WM) to ensure human or environmental health and safety in DOE operations. The Environmental Management (EM) Office was reorganized in 1999 to include five underlying offices: the Office of Policy, Planning and Budget; the Office of Integration and Disposition; the Office of Site Closure; the Office of Project Completion; and the Office of Science and Technology.

Cleanup of over 260 release sites with contaminated soil and three groundwater areas was completed by FY2006 when long-term stewardship planning was transferred to NNSA. The SSO Environment, Safety and Health & Quality Assurance (ESHQA) office is responsible for direction, day-to-day oversight and contract administration activities in support of the of ES&H programs at SNL.

As part of SNL's Environmental Management System under DOE Order 450.1, SNL has developed a Long Term Environmental Stewardship (LTES) Program. Long-term environmental stewardship (LTES) at Sandia involves stewardship activities for past, present, and future activities. The LTES Program is responsible for providing a corporate wide process for minimizing adverse environmental impacts from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) operations, including new, active and legacy sites. The LTES mission is to ensure the protection of human health and the environment and proactive management toward sustainable use and protection of natural and cultural resources affected by SNL operation and operational legacies.

The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project is winding down after cleanup of legacy contamination and over 200 closures at SNL. The Chemical Waste Landfill, the Mixed Waste Landfill, and the Corrective Action Management Unit will have individual post-closure plans or permits by the New Mexico Environmental Department. The Environmental Managements System (EMS) is a continuing cycle of planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving processes to achieve environmental goals. The EMS identifies a variety of environmental aspects that are relevant to the mission and scope of the LTES Program.