– Potential flash floods still a concern (KRQE, July 19, 2011):
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – As crews continue to try and fully contain the Las Conchas fire near Los Alamos there is still a lot of concern about flash floods in the burned out areas.
Officials are especially concerned about the canyons around Los Alamos where nuclear materials from the lab have gotten into the soil over the decades since World War II.
A legislative committee held a hearing in Santa Fe on the risks from that.
Lab officials insisted there is nothing to worry about, but lawmakers are still concerned.
The lab said it closely monitors runoff that ends up in the Rio Grande and if there were any threat there, they would have plenty of time to alert people.
Santa Fe gets 40 percent of its drinking water from the Buckman channel which is fed by the Rio Grande.