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WIPP Frequently Asked Questions

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT TRANSURANIC SHIPMENTS TO
THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP)

 

    What is radioactive transuranic waste?
Transuranic waste consists primarily of discarded items such as gloves, glassware, tools, debris, building parts and rags contaminated with plutonium during weapons production. Though less radioactive than other waste, transuranic waste isotopes remain radioactive for a long period of time and must therefore be handled separately from other wastes.

Transuranic waste is contaminated with radioactive materials with atomic numbers greater than uranium, such as plutonium, americium, and curium. Transuranic waste is officially defined as waste contaminated with alpha-emitting radionuclides having atomic numbers greater than 92 and with half-lives greater than 20 years and in concentrations greater than 100 nanocuries per gram of waste.

How was the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant chosen to store transuranic waste?
While federal research and other facilities began accumulating radioactive materials generated from defense activities since the beginning of the atomic age, it wasn’t until 1974 that federal and local officials were able to agree on a site for the safe and permanent disposal of some of the waste. Scientists had concluded that a site in southeastern New Mexico near Carlsbad with its deep, underground salt deposits looked promising for demonstrating that radioactive material could be permanently disposed without leaks, spills, or other accidents. The rationale behind selecting a site with salt deposits was the view that the salt would naturally collapse around the waste, thereby encasing it, which would prevent the radioactive material from escaping.

After selecting the site near Carlsbad for the repository, the federal government spent approximately $2 billion testing its capabilities and building a facility and mine located 2150 feet below the surface. The site is now known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant or WIPP.

   When did shipments begin?
On March 26, 1999, the first shipment from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico safely arrived at WIPP.

   Are the shipments safe?
Yes. Transuranic waste may only be shipped in containers that have been certified by the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission as meeting the nation’s highest standards for safety. To obtain this certification, containers must undergo rigorous modeling or testing. Currently approved containers are cylindrical with a domed top and have a multi-layered wall which increases the strength of the package and therefore its ability to withstand accidents.

Before being shipped, the transuranic waste is sealed in a 55-gallon drum. Each container holds up to 14 drums. Then, as many as three loaded containers are mounted on specially designed trailers, which are pulled by conventional diesel-powered tractors.

    Are the shipments inspected after being loaded?
Yes. State inspectors conduct an independent inspection of each loaded truck at the generator site to verify compliance with all transportation and packaging requirements and regulations. Each shipment must be “defect free” before it is allowed to depart. Inspectors follow the enhanced or “Level VI” procedures and out-of-service criteria of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). These inspection procedures are comprehensive and focus on making sure each shipment will meet all federal standards for hazardous materials shipments. Some states also perform a radiological inspection of the container.

Does the Department of Energy know the location of every truck loaded with transuranic waste that is on the highway?
Yes. Each truck is equipped with a sophisticated web based system that allows DOE to track each shipment near real time. States also have access to the system, which includes maps that show the position of a loaded truck on the highway.

Where do the shipments come from?
Eventually the waste will be shipped from 23 federal facilities located around the country to the Waste Isolation Plant (WIPP) facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Since the first shipment in March, 1999, shipments have been made from Argonne National Laboratory – East in Illinois, Hanford Site in Washington, Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado and Savannah River Site in Georgia.

     When will shipments end?
The DOE anticipates all transuranic waste will be safely and permanently buried by 2029.

Is WIPP capable of holding all the transuranic waste that has been generated or will be generated?
Yes. The WIPP facility, where transuranic waste is buried 2150 feet below the surface, is designed to hold more than 6 million cubic feet of waste. This is the equivalent of 850,000 55-gallon drums of waste or enough to fill 65 rooms, each the size of a football field.

Who do I call if I see something wrong?
Call the DOE hotline number: 1 800 336-9477

How many drivers are in each truck?
Two. This ensures the driver is always rested and fewer stops have to be made en route to the WIPP facility.

    Have there been any accidents or incidents involving loaded trucks?
Unfortunately, there have been a few since shipments began in March 1999, however, none of the incidents to date has resulted in serious injury or the release of radioactive material into the environment. Additionally, all transuranic waste delivered to WIPP has been safely disposed of.

Do the loaded trucks pass through cities?
Yes, but the DOE has agreed to follow the federal rules that apply to shipments of spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive materials. Those rules require that every attempt be made to avoid population centers and minimize the time the waste is in transit when routes are selected, so that potential exposure is minimized. Trucks loaded with transuranic waste mostly travel on interstate highways.

Why are states involved if disposal of radioactive waste is a federal government responsibility?
Both the federal government and states share responsibility for making sure all transuranic waste shipments are safe and uneventful. In the late 1980s, Western states banded together to form a regional group, now known as the Western Governors’ Association WIPP Transportation Technical Advisory Group, to tackle planning and other transportation related issues. Working together and with the DOE, the Technical Advisory Group developed a comprehensive transportation program containing stringent shipping procedures that both Western states and the DOE agreed to follow during the entire campaign to ship transuranic waste to WIPP. The safety program that Western states and DOE put together is a model program that works.