Heinrich Presses NNSA Administrators on Los Alamos Housing Supply, Clean Up Efforts Near LANL, & Creating Public-Private Partnerships in New Mexico to Accelerate America’s[...]

WASHINGTON - At a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to discuss President Trump's Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) pressed NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams and NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs David Beck on the supply of housing near Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), clean up efforts of the hexavalent chromium plume near LANL, and creating public-private partnerships in New Mexico to accelerate America's high-yield fusion capabilities.

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, presses NNSA administrators at a subcommittee hearing to discuss President Trump's FY27 budget request for the NNSA, April 29, 2026.

On the Supply of Housing at Los Alamos:

Heinrich: "Administrator Williams, I've been really proud to help grow the budget, more importantly, the workforce at Los Alamos since arriving to the Senate thirteen years ago. And one of the challenges that growing workforce has created is the local housing challenge in Los Alamos. And I know you've been to Los Alamos. It's sort of an island community on top of a mesa. There's not a lot of extra space to put housing. And so, I secured language in the FY26 energy and water bill asking NNSA to look at that and come up with potential solutions to the housing problem - even look at ideas like putting some offices in nearby communities that are less housing constrained. When could I expect that report to be completed and shared with the committee?"

Williams: "So we're very aware of the housing needs. As you know, that's really important to our workforce in and around that region. And it is a barrier: Hiring the very best people to settle there. I'll also tell you that you should be incredibly proud of the workforce, in particular Los Alamos, that is working on the plutonium mission...But the work they are doing is surpassing, in pit production, anybody's wildest dreams of what was possible. And that is directly because of Mr. Beck's leadership...So just for those details, Mr. Beck, maybe can help out."

Beck: "We are very concerned about, as you are, about housing. I spent seven years in New Mexico working at Los Alamos, so I know it fairly well. The importance of adequate housing is essential for recruitment and retention, as you're well aware. On the satellite campus report, there's analysis underway and we'll share that report with you - the study results - after the completion. I expect later this summer."

On Clean up Efforts of the Hexavalent Chromium Plume near Los Alamos National Lab:

Heinrich: "I want to jump to the issue of cleaning up the hexavalent chromium plume related to Los Alamos. That's currently sort of stalled out because of the dispute between DOE and the New Mexico Environment Department. So, while that dispute continues, no activities are actually taking place to mitigate that plume. And there's a real serious concern at the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, a local Tribe that's just next door, about the quality and impact to their drinking water. So, is that something you can look into and figure out what we need to do to resolve that dispute and get progress on that?"

Williams: "I'm aware of the issue and have been briefed on it several times. The mitigation strategy that we had in place was working, and we would like to continue for that to work. I discussed with my counterpart at the DOE, Tim Walsh, the head of the Environmental Management mission, and he asked me if we could together go out and see your governor. And, you know, meet with local officials and try to get a resolution in place. I would welcome your advice and any assistance you have on brokering that. But I'm committed to go out and try to work this in person."

Heinrich: "We would be very happy to help facilitate that visit."

On Creating Public-Private Partnerships in New Mexico to Accelerate America's High-Yield Fusion Capabilities:

Heinrich: "We've had a number of private sector actors, Pacific Fusion and Fuse Energy, start facilities in New Mexico partnering with Sandia to build on the capabilities of the Z machine there at Sandia. We know that China is racing ahead in this space, and a public-private partnership could significantly accelerate NNSA's ability to deliver high-yield fusion capabilities. Can you just talk to me a little bit about how NNSA is thinking about this space, and what some of the opportunities are?"

Beck: "Senator, you're exactly right. The competition with China is crucial to our ability to maintain our deterrent. We are working with a number of fusion companies to review their technology progress and discuss our partnerships. In 2024, we issued an RFI to understand pulse power. We're moving forward on a laser-based RFI, to come out soon, and we have creatives in place with fusion firms to upgrade the Z machine at Sandia. And we're in ongoing talks with companies to evaluate their technology readiness to proceed further. Competition with China is essential."

Heinrich also pressed Deputy Administrator Beck on the status of the Combined Radiation Environments Survivability Testing (CREST) project.CREST will modernize the aging Annular Core Research Reactor at Sandia National Labs. Beck updated Heinrich that the design for the reactor is underway and that the NNSA is seeking to speed up the project.

Additionally, Heinrich highlighted the importance of the Genesis Mission, - a DOE national initiative to harness AI for breakthroughs in energy, science, and national security - and how Sandia National Labs is excited about the project's potential to bolster their work solving hard engineering problems.

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