Research
Funded Research
Radionuclide monitoring
The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC) has received funding from Washington Tru Solutions (WTS) to support the U.S. Department of Energy Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a deep geologic repository that has been disposing of transuranic nuclear waste for the last seven years. CEMRC provides radiological laboratory space and technical staff and houses WTS scientists to measure radionuclides such as uranium, plutonium and americium in air, soil, water and other media including biological materials. The collaboration between NMSU CEMRC and WTS has resulted in the only radiological laboratory with a sample turn-around time of less than eight hours. Over the past 10 years, no contamination originating from the site has been detected from these vectors. CEMRC is part of the NMSU College of Engineering and is directed by Dr. James Conca. CEMRC has received an increase of $56,000, bringing the award total to $483,000.