The Department of Energy contractor that runs the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) said on Wednesday the underground transuranic waste repository has resumed operations after an unplanned outage of nearly two months caused by problems with two aging hoists and other complications.
Ryan Flynn, deputy program manager for Bechtel-led Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, told a DOE-sponsored community forum near Carlsbad, N.M., that a series of equipment issues beginning in May forced a prolonged halt to WIPP’s waste emplacement and mining operations.
This spring, WIPP management informed the New Mexico Environment Department that the nation’s only underground disposal site for this type of waste needed to suspend burying waste until it could carry out repairs to both the Air Intake Shaft and Salt Handling Shaft hoists.
The problems started with worn bearings on the air intake shaft hoist, which had to be taken out of service for replacement. About a month later, WIPP operators discovered what Flynn called “a major issue involving the motor of our salt hoist,” requiring a complete refurbishment and replacement of the motor, which he said was “just over 100 years old.”
With both primary hoists out of service, WIPP moved to use the utility shaft hoist as an emergency egress and backup, but that effort was delayed twice: once by the discovery of a nest of the federally-protected great horned owl on the hoist structure and then by a major power distribution failure onsite. Flynn said WIPP believes a lightning-induced surge damaged portions of the site’s electrical system, further extending the outage.
“We’ve resumed waste shipments and we’re back to full operations,” Flynn said.
According to DOE’s public shipment website for WIPP, a couple of waste shipments from the Los Alamos National Laboratory were received at WIPP near Carlsbad, N.M., on July 16. It marked the first transuranic waste shipment to arrive at WIPP from generator sites since May 26, according to the data.
Flynn reported that under the Land Withdrawal Act’s 6.2 million cubic feet capacity limit, WIPP’s underground repository is about 46% filled, leaving roughly 54% remaining. Of that remaining capacity, about 5% is expected to be used for waste from New Mexico generator sites, primarily Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, he said.
The update comes as DOE and New Mexico’s Environment Department (NMED) continue to negotiate over a Class 3 permit modification that authorizes construction and operation of Panels 11 and 12 as “replacement panels” under the 2023–2033 renewal term. The modification would authorize Panel 11 disposal to begin around spring 2028, with Panel 12 to follow, according to NMED documents.
Flynn said Salado and DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) did not participate in recent mediation talks over conditions imposed by NMED on WIPP operations but are tracking the outcome.
“We certainly understand the desire to expedite cleanup activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory,” Flynn said. He added that DOE is also planning for a “large quantity of waste” from the Hanford Site to come into the shipping queue, along with remaining legacy waste across the weapons complex. He said Salado agrees with concerns raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its formal comments on the state’s agency-initiated modification.
Flynn added that DOE leadership and NMED are continuing what he described as “productive conversations.” No public hearing has been scheduled, he said, adding that NMED will decide whether one is held.
Looking ahead, Flynn said no additional outages are planned for the rest of this year. In April 2027, however, WIPP expects to begin a planned outage of about six months to upgrade the waste hoist system, including modernizing the control system and making structural enhancements to the waste shaft.