WELCOME
The Assistance Agreement between the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of New Mexico provides for independent surveillance programs to review and evaluate facility monitoring systems and sampling procedures, to examine contaminant pathways, and to obtain independent analytical data at and near DOE facilities in New Mexico. Sampling environmental media determines the potential impact from operating facilities or contaminated sites on public health and the environment.
The mission of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED or Department), Department of Energy Oversight Bureau (DOE-OB or Bureau) is to conduct independent environmental monitoring of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) operations in New Mexico to help assure activities at DOE facilities are protective of public health and the environment.
To support this mission, the DOE-OB develops and implements vigorous environmental multi-media monitoring programs that include groundwater, surface water, wastewater, air, biota (flora and fauna), terrestrial (sediments and soils), and atmospheric deposition. These monitoring programs also provide the citizens of New Mexico with transparent, unbiased, and publicly available information associated with DOE activities within the State.
DOE operated facilities within the NMED, DOE-OB purview include Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM), and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).