WIPP has been disposing of legacy transuranic (TRU) waste since 1999,
cleaning up 22 generator sites nationwide.
WIPP was constructed for disposal of defense-generated TRU waste from DOE sites around the country. TRU waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, residues, debris, soil and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other man-made radioactive elements. The waste is permanently disposed of in rooms mined in an underground salt bed layer over 2000 feet from the surface.
Latest News
WIPP Community Forum on November 6, 2025
U.S. Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office and Salado...
[October 1, 2025]
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Salt Pocket Improvement at WIPP Completed
A critical piece of underground infrastructure at the U.S. Department...
[September 23, 2025]
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EPA Approves Replacement Panels at WIPP
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and...
[August 18, 2025]
read more...
THE WIPP Visitor EXPERIENCE
Visitors to Carlsbad, N.M. are encouraged to visit the WIPP Experience Exhibit. While public tours of WIPP are not available, the exhibit at our in-town office building features a brief documentary on the project and numerous displays. Friendly staff are available to answer questions about this one-of-a-kind facility.
Groups larger than four people are asked to call in advance for special showings in the auditorium.
The WIPP Experience Exhibit
U.S. Department of Energy
4021 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico
1-800-336-WIPP
Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.