EM-LA and NMED Report Complete FY25 Milestones, Outline FY26 Cleanup Goals

EM-LA and the New Mexico Environment Department told Los Alamos residents that cleanup work under the revised 2016 Compliance Order on Consent is on schedule, with all fiscal year 2025 milestones completed on or ahead of schedule and a focused slate of goals set for fiscal year 2026. The agencies used the Annual Public Meeting for Cleanup of Los Alamos National Laboratory Legacy Waste to review campaign classifications, recent accomplishments, and the coming year’s priorities.

Caitlin Martinez of NMED outlined the distinction between Class A and Class B campaigns, noting that Class A campaigns carry agreed completion dates and five-year schedules while Class B campaigns do not yet have established completion dates. Brian Harcek of EM-LA reported that EM-LA finished all 11 agreed FY25 milestones and submitted 83 additional consent order deliverables to NMED, underscoring both field progress and the administrative work required to keep the consent order on track.

For FY26, EM-LA and NMED agreed to 10 milestones covering key areas of local concern, including soil investigation and remediation, work on the hexavalent chromium plume, and actions at material disposal areas. Meeting presenters noted that one of the FY26 milestones had already been completed at the time of the session, reinforcing that the new fiscal-year work had begun in earnest.

The Jan. 27, 2026 meeting emphasized public transparency and ongoing engagement. EM-LA said it will continue to update the public at community meetings and encouraged residents to consult the EM-LA website for schedules and supporting documents. That continuing flow of information is important for Los Alamos County residents who follow canyon cleanup timelines, groundwater monitoring, and future land-use implications tied to legacy waste sites.

The operational and regulatory progress reported at the meeting matters locally because milestones govern timing for detailed investigations, cleanup actions, and long-term monitoring that affect soil and water resources near populated canyons and disposal areas. Completion of FY25 milestones and submission of 83 deliverables signal steady movement through the Compliance Order’s requirements, while the FY26 milestones map the next phase of targeted work on known hotspots such as the hexavalent chromium plume.

Residents should expect regular updates as EM-LA implements the FY26 milestones and prepares future deliverables. Continued public meetings will offer opportunities to review schedules, technical findings, and community impacts as cleanup actions proceed.