WC Monitor
12/4/2015
WIPP Receives ‘Safe Havens,’ Increasing Emergency Preparedness
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico recently received eight emergency chambers, which will be placed underground and become operational when the facility resumes full activity, according to a Nov. 24 WIPP press release. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz recently said the expected timeline for WIPP’s restart is before the beginning of 2017. Known as “safe havens,” these chambers are each about 28 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 7.25 feet high. They weigh approximately 90,000 pounds, and are all equipped to hold 20 people for at least 36 hours in case workers cannot safely evacuate the repository in an emergency, according to the release. The compartments contain safety and “habitability elements,” such as a heating, ventilation, and cooling systems; an on-board oxygen delivery system; food; water; a chemical toilet; gas monitoring; lighting; and seating.
