Hexavalent Chromium Groundwater Cleanup
Los Alamos County
Summary
County staff and San Ildefonso Pueblo leaders jointly urged congressional delegation support for continued chromium plume cleanup, DOE infrastructure funding for energy communities, and new well substitution; DOE's EM office signaled support for a replacement well — a first.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 27, 2026.
Impact analysis
Additional federal cleanup and infrastructure funding for Los Alamos is being pursued; no county expenditure identified.
Residents concerned about groundwater contamination and LANL cleanup benefit from faster plume remediation and stronger federal support.
Well PM 3 remains unavailable to the water supply, and uncertainty about the plume's true extent concerns customers, particularly in White Rock.
Mentions & discussions (6)
County Council - Regular Session — October 27, 2026
DOE skipped a recent multi-stakeholder meeting on the chromium plume cleanup, so the council voted 6-1 to ask Governor Lujan-Grisham to make the state Environment Department show up and stay engaged.
County Council - Regular Session — October 6, 2026
County staff and San Ildefonso Pueblo leaders jointly urged congressional delegation support for continued chromium plume cleanup, DOE infrastructure funding for energy communities, and new well substitution; DOE's EM office signaled support for a replacement well — a first.
County Council (Work) — July 14, 2026
The county's main PM-3 well remains offline due to the chromium plume, possibly for decades. The county believes the federal government owes a replacement well and is rethinking an Overlook/San Juan Chama drilling plan, while the Lab now plans to reclaim wastewater instead of increasing groundwater pumping.
Board of Public Utilities Work Session — June 3, 2026
New sampling at well SIMR 3 on San Ildefonso land shows chromium at nearly 99 ppb — double the standard — proving the plume has moved off LANL property. Injection of treated water is halted, both state bureaus have issued compliance orders, and a final remedy is likely three to five years or more away. Well PM 3 stays offline, and residents are watching whether their drinking water supply stays protected.
Board of Public Utilities — May 20, 2026
DOE's EM-LA field office and N3B were scheduled to brief the board on the hexavalent chromium campaign and interim measures — the multi-year effort to treat chromium-contaminated groundwater beneath Los Alamos before it migrates toward the Rio Grande.
EM-LA And N3B To Present Update On Hexavalent Chromium Plume At May 20 Los Alamos County DPU Board Meeting
EM-LA And N3B To Present Update On Hexavalent Chromium Plume At May 20 Los Alamos County DPU Board Meeting Los Alamos Reporter
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