Recovery Act accelerates cleanup at LANL

Los Alamos National Laboratory on Dec. 1, 2009 began full-scale demolition at TA-21, the Cold War-era complex of buildings that once housed plutonium production and historic, nonweapons research.

Were seeing something this morning that has not happened since the late 1940s, said Isaac Ike Richardson, the Labs deputy director. The Los Alamos skyline is starting to change.

More than 50 guests, including elected officials and representatives from New Mexicos Congressional delegation, watched as two large excavators began tearing away walls of Building 21-210, a two-story, 22,000-square-foot former office and lab-facilities building.

This is a symbol of times changing and getting better, said New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry, who ceremonially started the demolition with a command on a two-way radio.

The Lab was able to accelerate demolition and cleanup of this complex, known as Technical Area 21, thanks to a $212 million award from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. More than 165, 000 square feet of former research, production, and office buildings will be demolished.