Conform with environmental requirements
The inspector general's office identified several major weaknesses in the lab's procedures for packing contaminated gloves, tools and other radiological wastes that were destined for permanent storage at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southern New Mexico.
Not all of the lab's procedures were properly vetted and some procedures didn't conform with environmental requirements, according to the findings.
The report reinforces the findings of internal reviews done by the lab and the Energy Department after a canister of waste from Los Alamos leaked in one of WIPP's storage rooms in February, contaminating 22 workers and forcing the indefinite closure of the nuclear waste repository.
"Our review identified several major deficiencies in LANL's procedures for the development and approval of waste packaging and remediation techniques that may have contributed to the radiological event," the inspector general said.
The inspector general has outlined several recommendations to correct the lab's failures, saying changes need to be made before the cleanup of radiological waste continues.
The lab said Wednesday it is addressing the recommendations as part of its efforts to "learn from these events and improve our operational practices."