We continually monitor our energy use and emissions to minimize our environmental impact and improve our day-to-day operations. Our environmental stewardship programs leverage our R&D programs to help reduce our own electricity use, water consumption and environmental emissions.

Argonne’s environmental policy states:

Argonne activities (including but not limited to, experiments, facility operations, construction activities, and other activities) must be conducted in an environmentally safe and sound manner in accordance with the existing DOE contract and Argonne permit conditions. Argonne is committed to:

• Protection of the environment, including waste management; regulated air emissions; regulated water effluent; waste minimization/pollution prevention, and compliance with all applicable requirements;
• Implementation of the environmental aspects/impacts and environmental objectives/targets process; and
• Continual improvement of the Environmental Management System to enhance environmental performance.

 
The laboratory’s Environmental Management System is ISO 14001:2015 certified.

Argonne strives to be a good neighbor and a responsible environmental steward. A number of Argonne programs care for the environment by continually monitoring and measuring contaminants onsite and by conscientiously tracking, collecting and properly disposing of the small amounts of chemical and radioactive waste that Argonne research generates. Argonne also carries out environmental monitoring for the U.S. Department of Energy of Red Gate Woods, where nuclear-reactor-related research was performed from 1943 to the mid-1950s.