AbstractEnvironmental monitoring for radionuclides and some chemicals has been conducted at DOE's Pantex Plant for over 20 years. Monitoring for a comprehensive suite of chemicals is more recent. Resulting data are used to calculate the radiological dose to the public and to assess the environmental effects of plant operations. Monitoring data show that concentrations of airborne radionuclides at the plant perimeter are in compliance with applicable standards. Radionuclide levels in soil and vegetation from both on‐ and off‐site locations are generally attributable to naturally occurring radioactivity and worldwide fallout. The radiological dose potentially received by an individual at the plant boundary, using worst‐case assumptions for all routes of exposure, was 0.00057 mrem in 1993, well below the DOE radiation limit of 100 mrem/yr to the public. No contamination has been found in the Ogallala aquifer beneath the plant or downgradient in a well field operated by the City of Amarillo. This article reviews the Pantex Plant monitoring program, summarizes the existing database, and discusses the changes needed to satisfy today's environmental regulations and to answer questions posed by a knowledgeable p