Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici have introduced legislation that would transfer about 130 acres of surplus Department of Energy (DOE) land to the Lovelace Foundation.

The foundation runs Lovelace Institute, a former Cold War-era DOE nuclear site that specialized in researching the health effects of radiation. Lovelace has expanded beyond its Cold War mission and now performs important testing research for the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

“This is a good opportunity for Lovelace Institute to make use of land that the DOE no longer needs,” Bingaman said.

“This proposed transfer has been reviewed and will be beneficial for Lovelace and the federal government. In the end, I hope this property transfer will clear a path for Lovelace to excel at its work,” Domenici said.

Lovelace will assume responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the land, which has been environmentally remediated. The move will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

The bill also gives the Air Force possession of the “Coronado Club,” a DOE facility that Kirtland plans to turn into a conference center.

The bill was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Bingaman chairs that committee and Domenici is the ranking Republican.