Los Alamos County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Los Alamos County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Hexavalent chromium groundwater plume
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.
2026 Electric Coordination Agreement with DOE
The new 10+10-year, $424 million contract governing how the county and the lab share and pay for electric power hit a snag: a termination clause capping DOE's liability at $6 million. The Board asked for a one-month extension to fix it before recommending approval.