The Sandia Labs Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL) comprises multiple unlined, open pits and trenches in which Sandia has disposed many tons of nuclear waste and toxic chemicals since WW II.  Much of this was disposed of in plastic containers over a period of 40+ years.  These containers are degrading and "breaching", releasing their contents into the ground like time capsules do cold medicine.  Evidence some of these toxic elements have reached the groundwater exists.  Yet, Sandia and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) are, as of July 2015, proposing to leave the MWL and it's contents undisturbed and uncharacterized.  Their "solution" to protect the public is no more then a dirt cover installed over this toxic dump with vegetation, ignoring the decades these open pits were inundated with monsoon rains soaking the ground below, washing the contaminants downward to our drinking water.

Hearings were conducted in July 2015 for 3 days, purposed with providing a recommendation to NMED to approve or not approve, this dirt cover as a final solution to protect the public health from this nuclear and chemical waste.  If NMED approves this "solution", Sandia will not be required to do anything more until 2019 at the earliest.  

These Hearings were officially called:

PROPOSED PERMIT MODIFICATION FOR SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

EPA ID NO. NM5890110518

TO DETERMINE CORRECTIVE ACTION COMPLETE WITH CONTROLS

AT THE MIXED WASTE LANDFILL

Below are 2 video segments from these hearings.

Dave McCoy testimony and cross examination, 7/11/2015.

Paul Robinson, Research Director of Southwest Research and Information Center, Albuquerque.  Paul is testifying on detection of VOC's within 65 feet of the water table and need for prompt response to prevent them from reaching Albuquerque's water supply.