Los Alamos National Laboratory sits on top of a once-remote mesa in northern New Mexico with the Jemez mountains as a backdrop to research and innovation covering multi-disciplines from bioscience, sustainable energy sources, to plasma physics and new materials.
Competition test skills of hazardous materials response teams. Los Alamos, New Mexico, July 27, 2009—Seven hazardous materials response teams from New Mexico and Oklahoma will test their skills at the 13th annual Hazmat Challenge July 28-31 sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory. The challenge provides hazardous materials responders the opportunity to network and learn new techniques under realistic conditions in a safe environment. Held at the Laboratory's Technical Area 49, the event challenges participants to respond to simulated hazardous materials emergencies involving a rail car, a clandestine laboratory, transportation and industrial piping scenarios, a simulated radiological release, and responding to an emergency in a confined space, said Chris Rittner of the Laboratory's Emergency Operations Division. The finale of the Hazmat Challenge is an obstacle course; teams are graded and earn points based on their response skills. The Laboratory began the Hazmat Challenge in 1996 as a way to hone the skills of its own members. The competition now offers a training opportunity for other New Mexico and regional hazardous materials response teams.
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