From 1943 to 1963, liquid and often radioactive waste was dumped into a canyon near the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was named Acid Canyon. Today, a dirt road shaded by pine trees offers a relatively easy way to recover in the same area. Dr. Michael Ketterer, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry in Northern Arizona (…)

From 1943 to 1963, liquid and often radioactive waste was dumped into a canyon near Los Alamos National Laboratory that was named Acid Canyon. Today, a pine-shaded dirt road provides a relatively easy way to recreate in the same area.

Dr. Michael Ketterer, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, took samples from Acid Canyon and was surprised by the plutonium levels. 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 such high levels of plutonium contamination in an area with no restricted access.

“What I found here in Acid Canyon is pretty much the most extreme scenario of plutonium contamination … in an external, uncontrolled environment that I have ever seen in my career,” he said.

He compared the values ​​with samples from the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where a massive explosion occurred in the 1980s, releasing large amounts of radioactive substances.

In 1967, the Atomic Energy Commission conducted cleanup work in Acid Canyon before turning the land over to Los Alamos County without restrictions on use. The U.S. Department of Energy also conducted cleanup work and certified that the canyon met applicable standards and guidelines for cleanup.

Jay Coghlan of Nuclear Watch New Mexico said that during storms, the water sends bursts of plutonium through the canyon, through the San Ildefonso Pueblo and eventually into the Rio Grande. Plutonium from the Los Alamos National Laboratory has already been found in Cochiti Lake, about 17 miles to the south.

Nuclear Watch New Mexico is pushing for increased cleanup of the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s legacy waste and is also opposing the production of new plutonium at the site.

While Ketterer said there are high levels of plutonium in Acid Canyon, he does not believe people there should forgo recreation. Rather, he said people who live or visit Los Alamos should be aware of the contamination.

Ketterer said plants in the area could absorb the plutonium from the environment, meaning it could enter the food chain. He also expressed concerns that future wildfires in the area could lead to the spread of plutonium through the ash.

Coghlan said more testing would be done in the Los Alamos area and that Nuclear Watch New Mexico is pushing for a new environmental impact statement for continued operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory.