Deputy Assistant Secretary of DOE-EM Jim Owendoff
RCLC News:
SANTA FE — The Regional Coalition of LANL Communities (RCLC) and Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) met with several Department of Energy Environmental Management (DOE-EM) officials Wednesday, Aug. 8 for a reception dinner in Española.
The opportunity allowed for relationship building and an open dialogue on the future vision of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and DOE-EM cleanup campaigns with Deputy Assistant Secretary of DOE-EM, Jim Owendoff, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Roger Jarell, and other officials visiting from Washington DC.
Also in attendance was Santa Fe Mayor, Javier Gonzales, Española Mayor, Alice Lucero, San Ildefonso Governor, James Mountain, EM-LA Manager Doug Hintze, and several Environmental Management Los Alamos representatives. The gathering granted local governments and stakeholders the chance to get to know Trump Administration appointees and potential areas of collaboration to support cleanup efforts and ensure local community interests are considered within DOE-EM decision-making as it pertains to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
Mayor Alice Lucero commented that “this was a successful gathering to express our communities’ concerns regarding the upcoming EM contract transition. Our unwavering commitment to local communities was expressed and we are putting the pieces in place for a stronger relationship with the newly appointed leadership at Department of Energy”.
The Coalition emphasized the importance of safe, cost-effective and expeditious environmental remediation within the upcoming transition of a new EM Contractor under the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contact (LLCC), which is wholly responsible for the remediation of nuclear legacy waste at LANL sites. Among the many regional priorities is the assurance of a smooth contract transition and to provide the next EM Contractor with a variety of opportunities to engage and understand local community and stakeholder interests.
The gathering was also mentioned in the DOE’s national newsletter alongside Owendoff’s visit with leadership of four New Mexico pueblos including Jemez, San Ildefonso, Cochiti and Santa Clara.
The Coalition requested information on the oncoming cleanup contractor, and Deputy Secretary Owendoff noted that we would have an answer prior to the expiration of the contract on September 30, 2017 with current cleanup contractor LANS, LLC. From the overall fruitful discussion, the DOE environmental cleanup mission as designated through the Consent Order with the New Mexico Environment Department is in effect and the priorities of the Northern New Mexico region are being considered by DOE leadership.
The Regional Coalition looks forward to working with new DOE leadership and offering support as a Coalition united for the completion of the cleanup of legacy waste and will continue to advocate on behalf of the interests of Northern New Mexico communities throughout the upcoming transition of the LLCC to ensure a safe, healthy and thriving regional community surrounding the Laboratory.
