Heinrich Discusses Effective Federal Safety Coordination Efforts Around Los Alamos With NNSA Administrator During Hearing

WASHINGTON –Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) participated in an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Submission for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). 

WATCH: Heinrich Discusses Effective Federal Safety Coordination Efforts Around Los Alamos With NNSA Administrator During Hearing [HD DOWNLOAD LINK HERE]

During the hearing, Senator Heinrich asked Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of NNSA Jill Hrubry about coordination efforts between the agency, Los Alamos County, and U.S. Forest Service to ensure there is a “maximum defensible space” for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the wake of recent fires.

Administrator Hruby said she was “happy to say over the last three or four years Los Alamos has done a terrific job of clearing fuel the laboratory property and as a result of this fire actually lent the machines to help clear fuels to the Forest Service and other areas that would provide even a greater barricade.”

As of yesterday, the Cerro Pelado Fire in New Mexico was over 70% contained and expects additional containment today. 

After recently seeing response efforts in Los Alamos firsthand, Senator Heinrich expressed that he would like to see these agencies be more proactive in enhancing preparedness efforts ahead of potential fires. 

During the hearing, Senator Heinrich also brought up the Restore and Modernize our National Labs Act, legislation he is cosponsoring that was introduced by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) to authorize $30.5 billion for infrastructure in national labs. Senator Heinrich currently sits on the bicameral conference committee finalizing a major jobs and competitiveness bill that includes consideration of this legislation.

Senator Heinrich asked Administrator Hruby about the importance of this funding and what it would mean for American competitiveness. Administrator Hruby responded that inclusion in the final bill  “would provide us the ability to actually reinvest in the laboratory science capabilities for our NNSA programs” and “be tremendously beneficial to keep our R&D programs” keeping them second to none.

Witness testimony and an archived video of the full hearing can be found here.