Statement by KRQE Reporter Gabrielle Burkhart, September 25, 2020
“[NMED] admitted it was a naturally occurring radioactive material, so that does not appear in question – the question is whether any of the material dumped at the landfill is at the level which could pose a danger to human health. Hopefully, their investigation is thorough and timely.”
Response
NMED has confirmed that the dump occurred.
The Landfill’s written manifest confirms that 43 truckloads (288 tons) of this material was dumped.
Radium — The Total Radium calculated to be in the radioactive material is 7.08 pCi/g.
This exceeds the standard maximum contaminant levels of 5 pCi/G established by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and theDepartment of Energy (DOE). [EPA Facts About Radium Information; Paper; DOE, Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment; Feb. 2017]
Standard maximum contaminant levels are set by the U.S. Government in order to warn the public that anything over that amount is dangerous to humans.
Therefore, the radioactive material dumped in the landfill definitely poses a danger to human health.
Arsenic – Arsenic is a carcinogen and a poison. The standard maximum contaminant level of the radioactive material is 7.07 mg/kg. [New Mexico Soil Screening Guidelines: Residential – Cancer; 2017).
The arsenic content in the radioactive material is 52.83 mg/kg. That is seven times higher than the standard maximum contaminant level. In fact, the arsenic levels in the dumped radioactive material exceed industrial occupational safety levels.
Standard maximum contaminant levels are set by the U.S. Government in order to warn the public that anything over that amount is dangerous to humans.
Therefore, the arsenic material dumped in the landfill definitely poses a danger to human health.
The briny water extracted from the two wells (artesian in nature) contained radium far in excess of standard maximum contaminant levels set by the federal government and the State of New Mexico.* This meets the EPA’s definition of NORM (naturally-occurring radiological material). [NORM is defined as, “Materials which may contain any of the primordial, radionuclides or radioactive elements as they occur in nature, such as radium, uranium, thorium potassium, and their radioactive decay products.]
The briny water from the two wells was pumped into evaporative ponds (pits) by the onsite operator. The water was then allowed to evaporate.
After the water evaporated, the radium ions attached to the salt. That process resulted in a much higher concentration of radium in the solidwaste than when it was in the water alone. This material now meets the definition of TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Material), which is NORM that has been concentrated or relocated. [TENORM is defined as, “Naturally occurring radioactive materials that have been concentrated or exposed to the accessible environment as a result of human activities, such as manufacturing, mineral extraction, or water processing.”]
TENORM is RADIOACTIVE WASTE. [According to the EPA
Radioactive waste is extremely dangerous and is not allowed to be dumped in the Rio Rancho Landfill.
Therefore the radioactive waste that was illegally dumped into the landfill definitely poses a danger to human health.NMED says it is conducting an internal investigation into this matter. If their conclusions are anything less than these scientific findings, the investigation will be nothing more than an investigation conducted by the fox guarding the henhouse.
