WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, along with Rep. Ben Ray Lujàn, today announced that Los Alamos National Laboratory will receive $212 million in cleanup funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
The New Mexico lawmakers reported that the funding will be used to demolish 35 buildings and structures across the complex, allowing the transfer of over 100 acres of developable land to Los Alamos County.
"Each year, we invest billions of dollars in the important work performed at LANL. The funding being released through this recovery package, however, represents a direct investment in the community itself," Bingaman said. "With this funding, LANL will prepare more than 100 acres of land for transfer to the county so that it can be used for economic development."
"I applaud the Obama Administration for recognizing the great need for this funding to help accelerate cleanup efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory," said Udall. "These funds will go a long way towards putting people to work improving the environmental and safety conditions at the lab."
"Recovery funding for cleanup projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory will create and sustain jobs as well as reduce Los Alamos' environmental footprint," said Luján. "By supporting important economic development projects, this funding makes an investment in the community that will help during this economic downturn."
Bingaman and Udall had pressed for the inclusion of $6 billion in the recovery package for DOE's environmental cleanup program. The Waste Isolation Pilot Project will also receive $172 million from the cleanup funding in the recovery package.
