BDD News
News Release
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Pitcher Komer—505-660-7682 cell;
Rick Carpenter — 505-955-4206; 660-5696 cell
BDD Board Responds to New Mexico Environment Department's Enforcement Action Against Los Alamos National Laboratory
BDD Board Supports NMED's $960,000 Penalty and Call to Action
November 23, 2009
Santa Fe –The Buckman Direct Diversion Board (BDD) supports the New Mexico Environment Department's (NMED) call to action for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to perform water quality monitoring. The BDD Board appreciates NMED's actions to protect the long-term viability and safety of the water supply to communities downstream of LANL.
The BDD Project is committed to ensuring a safe and sustainable surface water supply from the Rio Grande for the Santa Fe community. The BDD Board has been active on many fronts to assure drinking water produced by the BDD Project meets all safe drinking water standards, and scientifically demonstrate that drinking water is safe with respect to LANL environmental pollution in order to improve customer confidence.
While the BDD Board has worked successfully with LANL on surface water quality measures, the BDD Board and staff have continuing concerns and must be certain that storm water runoff from LANL is properly managed and regulated to ensure contaminants are contained on LANL property and do not reach the Rio Grande.
“The BDD Board supports the NMED's efforts to ensure compliance with water quality monitoring. This environmental compliance action by the NMED complements the many steps already taken by the BDD Board to ensure a safe and successful project. While we are confident that our five tiers of protection will produce drinking water that will meet or exceed all federal and state safe drinking water requirements, the BDD Board will continue to advocate for additional safe water actions and work with regulators and LANL on mutual concerns. We appreciate the significant efforts already made by the New Mexico Environment Department and we will continue to work with them,” says Virginia Vigil, BDD Board Chair and Santa Fe County Commissioner.
About the Buckman Direct Diversion Project - the BDD Project will provide a sustainable way for the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County to access surface water supplies by diverting San Juan-Chama Project water and native Rio Grande water to reduce their reliance on over-taxed ground water resources. Design and construction on the BDD began in September 2008 and is expected to be completed, with the project operational, in the Spring, 2011.