by Hannah Grover
New Mexico Political Report
November 19, 2024
An indigenous advocacy group says Los Alamos National Laboratory’s plan to vent a radioactive form of hydrogen known as tritium into the air could put nearby residents, particularly children, at risk.
Tewa Women United has released two independent scientific reports backing those claims.
TWU is partnering with groups like the New Mexico Environmental Law Center in opposition of the tritium venting plan.
According to NMELC, the reports indicate that if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves LANL’s application to release tritium into the atmosphere, “infants could receive triple the radiation dose compared to adults.”
NMELC further says that LANL did not “include impacts to infants and children, didn’t consider them to be ‘members of the public.’”
The reports were both released on the TWU website on Tuesday. The two reports are authored by researchers from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. …