Transuranic Waste

The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., received 30 shipments of transuranic waste during June, making it one of the busiest disposal months since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced in-person operations at DOE nuclear sites in March 2020. Of the 30 shipments last month recorded on a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) […]

The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., received 30 shipments of transuranic waste during June, making it one of the busiest disposal months since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced in-person operations at DOE nuclear sites in March 2020. Of the 30 shipments last month recorded on a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management chose a Bechtel National-led joint venture to manage the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., starting as soon as October. As of Friday morning, none of the losing bidders had protested the award to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). One source said DOE’s debriefings to losing […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has selected a Bechtel National-led joint venture to manage the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., starting as soon as October. In a Monday afternoon press release, the federal agency announced the award of the potential 10-year, $3-billion contract to Reston, Va.,-based Tularosa Basin Range Services, […]

Improving low shipping rates at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico and awarding a new prime contract are high priority issues for the disposal site, Reinhard Knerr, DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office manager, said in a recent town meeting. “And finally, we expect transition to the new M&O [management and operations] […]

A major underground ventilation project key to the future of the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is almost two-thirds of the way finished, a manager for the prime contractor told a virtual “town hall” meeting Thursday. The Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System is 63% percent complete, Nuclear Waste Partnership president […]

A Honeywell-owned prime contractor for Sandia National Laboratories said in a Tuesday filing a wrongful firing suit brought against it by a scientist who worked on data for the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant should remain in federal court. National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia said the wrongful termination suit brought by […]

The Department of Energy could start a federal readiness assessment this month at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory facilities in California that prepare transuranic waste for shipment to the agency’s underground disposal site in New Mexico, according to a government safety board. On May 31, 2022, the lab began the contractor readiness assessment for restarting operations […]

The Honeywell-owned prime contractor for Sandia National Laboratories said in a Tuesday filing a wrongful firing suit brought against it by a scientist who worked on data for the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant should remain in federal court. National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia said the wrongful termination suit brought by […]

The Department of Energy could start a federal readiness assessment sometime this month at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory facilities in California that prepare transuranic waste for shipment to the agency’s underground disposal site in New Mexico, according to a government safety board. On May 31, 2022, the lab began the contractor readiness assessment for restarting […]

A Honeywell-owned prime contractor for Sandia National Laboratories said in a Tuesday filing a wrongful firing suit brought against it by a scientist who worked on data for the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant should remain in federal court. National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia said the wrongful termination suit brought by […]

The Department of Energy could start a federal readiness assessment sometime this month at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory facilities in California that prepare transuranic waste for shipment to the agency’s underground disposal site in New Mexico, according to a government safety board. On May 31, 2022, the lab began the contractor readiness assessment for restarting […]

Here are some events related to defense and civilian nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking this week: 05: Congress remains in recess this week following the Independence Day holiday. Regular sessions are scheduled to resume next week.  07: The Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant plan a community […]

A contract solicitation for Technical Support Services at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee could hit the street in September, the Cincinnati-based Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center announced this week. The request for proposals (RFP) will be out no sooner than September, the contracting office said in a Thursday June 29 quarterly […]

New Mexico agencies are receiving more than $12 million in grant money from the Department of Energy to help ensure safe transport of defense-related transuranic waste to the federal underground disposal site near Carlsbad and more broadly to help fund state oversight of nuclear waste. The federal agency announced the award in a Thursday press […]

A Department of Energy effort to reduce harmful underground emissions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico will be slowed down pending a fire-hazard analysis of three new lithium-ion-battery-operated haul trucks, a government safety watchdog said in a recent update. Nuclear Waste Partnership, the DOE’s prime contractor for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant […]

A Department of Energy effort to reduce harmful underground emissions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico will be slowed down pending a fire-hazard analysis of three new lithium-ion-battery-operated haul trucks, a government safety watchdog said in a recent update. Nuclear Waste Partnership, the DOE’s prime contractor for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — The manager of the Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico last week declined to provide a timeline for moving potentially combustible drums of stranded Los Alamos National Laboratory transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant from a private site in Texas. Reinhard Knerr, who manages the DOE Carlsbad […]

The subcontractor in charge of sinking a new utility shaft at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., needs to fix potential safety hazards, the federal agency said in a recent assessment. While prime contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership and subcontractor Harrison Western-Shaft Sinkers have a “generally adequate construction safety program,” they […]

The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., received 12 shipments during May, according to the public website for the disposal site. The dozen shipments in May 2022 are eight fewer than the 20 recorded in May 2021. So far during the calendar year 2022, the underground salt mine has received 67 […]

The Department of Energy on Thursday awarded incumbent CAST Specialty Transportation a new five-year contract with a maximum $100-million value for haulage of defense-related transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M. CAST won the new Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Transportation Services small business set-aside contract over three other proposals, the […]

While working on a new follow-on contract for haulage of defense-related transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., the Department of Energy has moved to keep incumbent CAST Specialty Transportation in place a little longer. The Carlsbad Transportation Services Contract held by the small business since June 2017 is now scheduled […]

The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., received 12 shipments during May, according to the public website for the disposal site. The dozen shipments in May 2022 are eight fewer than the 20 recorded in May 2021. So far during the calendar year 2022, the underground salt mine has received 67 […]

The subcontractor in charge of sinking a new utility shaft at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., needs to fix potential safety hazards, the federal agency said in a recent assessment. While prime contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership and subcontractor Harrison Western-Shaft Sinkers have a “generally adequate construction safety program,” they […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — The manager of the Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico last week declined to provide a timeline for moving potentially combustible drums of stranded Los Alamos National Laboratory transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant from a private site in Texas. Reinhard Knerr, who manages the DOE Carlsbad […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — With the promise of a contamination-free underground panel to work in, and looming infrastructure upgrades, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico could triple the number of waste shipments it takes in by 2024, compared with 2021, a federal official said Thursday. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) crews should finish filling […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — With the National Nuclear Security Administration hoping to see the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico producing 30 plutonium pits by 2026, the organization is working closely with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on plans for the increased transuranic waste levels, speakers told Radwaste Summit Wednesday. With the […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — With the National Nuclear Security Administration hoping to see the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico producing 30 plutonium pits by 2026, the organization is working closely with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on plans for the increased transuranic waste levels, speakers told the RadWaste Summit Wednesday. With […]

SUMMERLIN, NEV. — With the National Nuclear Security Administration hoping to see the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico producing 30 plutonium pits by 2026, the organization is working closely with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on plans for the increased transuranic waste levels, speakers told Radwaste Summit Wednesday. With the […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says continued storage of potentially-combustible transuranic waste at Waste Control Specialists in Andrews County, Texas until Dec, 31, 2024, should not result in a significant environmental impact, but Texas wants to see the drums gone pronto.  In a May 10 letter to Assistant Secretary of Energy David Turk, Texas Commission on […]