KNOXVILLE, TENN. — The Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) Tim Walsh said here Wednesday the nuclear cleanup branch is drawing closer to a deal with New Mexico over state permit modifications for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, N.M.
“So, we completed our mediation and it’s just with our general counsel,” Walsh said in response to a question at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) conference. ‘I think there is actually a response back from our general counsel today back to New Mexico on a few questions surrounding appropriations. But hopefully we can get that wrapped up here in the next couple of weeks.”
The New Mexico Environment Department has been pressing WIPP to increase in-state shipments of transuranic waste from the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
During the question-and-answer session following his presentation, Walsh was also asked by Exchange Monitor about changing the name of the Office of Environmental Management to the Office of Nuclear Restoration and Revitalization by the end of the year.
The new name, approved internally at DOE, would “better capture” EM’s dual role of remediating contaminated land and returning it to beneficial use.” Walsh said.
“We are just going to roll it out the same time we roll out a realignment of our organization,” Walsh said. That should “hopefully” happen by the end of the year.
