News
New Beginning
CARLSBAD, N.M. – Employees have begun emplacing defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste in Panel 8 of EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[November 23, 2022]
Meeting the Need
CARLSBAD, N.M. – WIPP employees stepped up in a big way in October with 82 eligible donors participating in the Vitalant blood drive held at the site and at the Skeen-Whitlock Building, an increase over prepandemic donation levels.
[November 23, 2022]
WIPP Hosts Veteran Day Commemoration Ceremony
CARLSBAD, N.M. – Veterans Day ceremonies were held simultaneously on November 10th at the WIPP site and the Skeen-Whitlock Building.
[November 11, 2022]
WIPP Celebrates Red Ribbon Week
CARLSBAD, N.M. – Red Ribbon Week raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs facing our community, and encourages parents, educators, business owners and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles.
[November 11, 2022]
Native American Heritage Month: Jenna Lente
CARLSBAD, N.M. – November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
[November 7, 2022]
2022 Salt of the Earth Winners Announced
CARLSBAD, N.M. – 2022 marks the seventh annual presentation of the Nuclear Waste Partnership Salt of the Earth awards, the highest employee recognition given by NWP.
[November 3, 2022]
OCT 24th Community Forum Recording Available
SANTA FE, N.M. - We would like to thank participants for attending the WIPP Community Forum which was held at the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Santa Fe, NM.
[October 31, 2022]
Last Waste Container Emplaced in Panel 7, Marking Important Milestone for WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. – Workers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) reached a major milestone Thursday, October 20th as the last container of transuranic (TRU) waste was emplaced in Panel 7 of WIPP’s underground.
[October 25, 2022]
WIPP Community Forum & Open House
CARLSBAD, N.M. – CBFO and NWP will host an in person and virtual meeting to provide a short update on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant with an extended question and answer period to follow.
[October 14, 2022]
James Peery takes over Sandia National Laboratories
CARLSBAD, N.M. – On Monday, Carlsbad received a visit from Dr. James Peery, who is the labs director for Sandia National Laboratories.
[October 13, 2022]
New DOE EM Program Plan Guides Cleanup Progress
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) on Thursday released its EM Program Plan, a 2022 priority outlining a decision roadmap the cleanup program will use as a guide over the next two decades.
[September 22, 2022]
Annual exercise puts WIPP to the test
CARLSBAD, N.M. - A plane crashes at the WIPP site, bursting into flame and igniting a wildland grass fire.
[September 22, 2022]
WIPP Mine Rescue Teams Finish in Top 15 at National Competition
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Mine rescue teams from EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) finished in the top 15 in both the overall and field competitions at the first-ever joint Coal, Metal and Nonmetal National Mine Rescue Contest in Lexington, Kentucky earlier this month.
[September 2, 2022]
WIPP’s Big Dig to Lead to New Utility Shaft as Crews Advance Massive Ventilation System
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Blast. Dig. Hoist. Dump.
[August 3, 2022]
WIPP Community Days Provide Opportunity for Learning and Exploration
CARLSBAD, N.M. - EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) recently sponsored two community events allowing visitors from across New Mexico to visit the site and learn more about its critical national mission.
[August 2, 2022]
WIPP Community Forum
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Senior leaders from EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) hosted a Community Forum & Open House on July 7 at the Santa Fe Convention Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
[July 14, 2022]
Meet the Office of Environmental Management Leaders Changing the Outlook of Nuclear Waste Cleanup
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The WIPP facility began operations in 1999 and celebrated 20 years of operations in 2019
[June 28, 2022]
WIPP Community Forum & Open House
CARLSBAD, N.M. - CBFO and NWP will host an in person and virtual meeting to provide an update on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
[June 23, 2022]
WIPP Safety Block Party Success
CARLSBAD, N.M. - WIPP’s Safety Block Party was welcomed back on May 11 with great participation from across the site.
[May 26, 2022]
WIPP Enters Homestretch Toward Waste Disposal Milestone
CARLSBAD, N.M. - One more room to go.
[April 20, 2022]
WIPP Employee Honored for Improving Miner Safety
CARLSBAD, N.M. - A subject matter expert on underground ventilation at the nation's only deep geologic repository has been recognized by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration for his work to improve miner safety.
[April 13, 2022]
WIPP Community Forum
CARLSBAD, N.M. - WIPP leadership held an open Community Forum on March 17th at 5:30.
[March 18, 2022]
Way cleared for emplacement in final Panel 7 room
CARLSBAD, N.M. - One more room to go.
[March 10, 2022]
CARLSBAD, N.M. - There’s something big going down at WIPP.
Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Visits WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Todd Shrader, DOE Office of Environmental Management Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (EM-2), toured the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) construction as part of a WIPP facility tour on Feb. 23.
[February 23, 2022]
Weaving the Fiber (Optics) of WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - It’s been a long pull to upgrade the backbone of the communications system at WIPP.
[February 17, 2022]
A Year of Progress
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Multiple projects at WIPP that were slowed by the pandemic spun back up to speed in 2021 and showed visible progress, led by the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS), the largest containment fan system in the DOE complex.
[January 31, 2022]
WIPP Leadership Academy Makes Leaders of Safety Culture
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The age-old question of whether leaders are born or made is still a debatable topic.
[January 10, 2022]
Taking Charge: Solving the Forklift Battery Issue
CARLSBAD, N.M. - We’ve all experienced it at home. Product No. 1 takes charger No. 1. Product No. 2 takes charger No. 2. And so on. None of them work together.
[December 20, 2021]
The Department of Energy Announces Major Cleanup Milestone
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) received its 13,000th shipment of transuranic (TRU) waste last week.
[November 23, 2021]
WIPP Stakeholder Presentation Slides and Video
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Reinhard Knerr, manager of the Carlsbad Field Office (Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management) gave a stakeholder update to interested participants.
[November 22, 2021]
Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System Update with Steve Smith
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Check in with NWP Project Manager, Steve Smith, for everything WIPP has accomplished on the SSCVS over the past few months.
[November 18, 2021]
Announcement of WIPP Update Town Hall
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The DOE will conduct a virtual town hall meeting to provide an update on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[November 10, 2021]
Edgewater Employee Named To State Commission
CARLSBAD, N.M. - WIPP employee Jackie Onsurez has been appointed to the New Mexico Emergency Response Commission (ERC) by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
[October 19 2021]
WIPP Finishes Mining for Eighth Panel for Transuranic Waste Disposal
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The mining machines are quiet. The salt haul trucks are still. After seven years, mining of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's (WIPP) Panel 8 is finished.
[October 13 2021]
CBFO’s Ed Garza Spotlights Hispanic Heritage Month During Panel Discussion
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Hispanic Heritage Month, scheduled Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, is celebrated annually to recognize the rich history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities.
[September 29, 2021]
EM and NNSA partner for efficient WIPP shipments
CARLSBAD, N.M. - A little cooperation goes a long way. In this case, cooperation between contractors at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant has made shipments to WIPP more efficient.
[September 28, 2021]
Announcement of WIPP Virtual Public Town Hall Meeting
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The DOE and NWP (Permittees) will conduct a virtual town hall meeting to provide information on the following planned Class 2 Permit Modification Request for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit: Update Panel 8 Volatile Organic Compound Room-Based Limits
[September 27, 2021]
WIPP Marks Milestone in Ventilation System Project Six Weeks Ahead of Schedule
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Workers at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) recently reached a key milestone six weeks early by completing the foundation for a building critical to the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS), which will be the largest containment fan system among DOE facilities when finished.
[August 17, 2021]
Announcement of a 60 Day Public Comment Period and Information Meeting
CARLSBAD, N.M. - DOE and NWP (Permittees) will conduct public meetings to provide information on the following Class 3 Permit Modification Request to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit): Construction and Use of Hazardous Waste Disposal Units 11 and 12
[August 10, 2021]
WIPP Virtual Public Town Hall Meeting
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The DOE and NWP (Permittees) will conduct a virtual town hall meeting to provide information on the following planned Class 3 Permit Modification Request for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit: Construction and Use of Hazardous Waste Disposal Units 11 and 12
[July 21, 2021]
Confirmed WIPP COVID-19 Cases
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office is reporting zero positive COVID-19 test results for WIPP employees between June 9 and June 15.
[June 17, 2021]
Looking Up – The SSCVS Update May 2021
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System is rising from the desert.
[June 4, 2021]
Summer Interns at WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - We are pleased to announce five college interns will be joining the Carlsbad Field Office this summer.
[June 2, 2021]
NWP Awards Contract to Complete Construction of WIPP Ventilation System
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), LLC today awarded a subcontract valued at approximately $163 million to The industrial Company (TIC) to complete construction of the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[April 21, 2021]
WIPP 700-C Fan Test Results Town Hall
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The DOE Carlsbad Field Office and Nuclear Waste Partnership will host a virtual town hall meeting on April 15, 2021, to share environmental monitoring data from the January 31, 2021, four-hour test of the WIPP 700-C ventilation fan.
[April 9, 2021]
Supplement Analysis for Replacement Disposal Panels
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The Department of Energy (DOE) has completed a Supplement Analysis (SA) for the construction of two replacement disposal panels in the underground of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP for the permanent disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste.
[April 8, 2021]
New CBFO Acting Deputy Manager
CARLSBAD, N.M. - As of March 14, Mark Bollinger, currently the Deputy Site Office Manager at the Fermi Site Office (FSO), will become the Acting Deputy Manager for the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO).
[March 15, 2021]
WIPP 2020 Year In Review
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) published its 2020 Year in Review, summarizing the cleanup work completed across the DOE complex over the course of the year. WIPP, along with other sites across the complex, made significant progress, after marking several major milestones in furtherance of its cleanup mission during 2020.
[January 19, 2021]
700-C Ventilation Short Duration Test Scheduled
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) intends to begin conducting initial short duration testing of the 700-C fan located at the WIPP site the week of Jan. 11.
[January 08, 2021]
700-C Ventilation Fan – Town Hall Meeting
CARLSBAD, N.M. - WIPP is hosting a virtual Town Hall meeting to provide information about the testing of the 700-C ventilation fan at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[December 08, 2020]
NWP Awards Subcontract in Support of Ventilation System Work
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) awarded a $3 million subcontract to Kiewit US Contractors Co. to support construction of the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[October 22, 2020]
Franco Returns to WIPP Project as Special Advisor to NWP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - A familiar face is returning to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Jose (Joe) Franco has been selected as special advisor to Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) President & Project Manager Sean Dunagan, effective October 26.
[October 08, 2020]
WIPP Reaches Early Milestone in Work to Increase Underground Ventilation
CARLSBAD, N.M. - A project at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has reached an early milestone as crews embark on a new phase to excavate a new utility shaft — an EM 2020 priority — located west of the WIPP plant.
[September 04, 2020]
Sandia National Labs Shipments Received at WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many things have changed, and new ways to accomplish required tasks have been developed. One thing that hasn’t changed is shipments being sent to and received at WIPP.
[July 30, 2020]
EM-3 Mooney Visits WIPP Site
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Ed Garza, assistant manager for DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office, explains WIPP’s continuous mining machine to Thomas Mooney and Jaffet Ferrer-Torres of the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) during an underground tour of WIPP on Wednesday.
[July 23, 2020]
WIPP Regains Voluntary Protection Program Star Status
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is once again a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star site.
[June 30, 2020]
DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Selected
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Reinhard Knerr has been selected as the new, permanent manager of the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO). Greg Sosson has served as acting manager since December.
[June 16, 2020]
Key Utility Shaft Construction Contract Awarded at WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) announced today the award of a key utility shaft construction contract at the Department's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[August 21, 2019]
Mine Experts to Advise WIPP on Worker Safety, Regulatory Compliance
CARLSBAD, N.M., August 14, 2019 - A panel of experts has been assembled to provide periodic reviews and recommendations on the safety and effectiveness of EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) ground control programs and future mine designs.
[August 14, 2019]
Sean Dunagan to Take Helm at NWP/WIPP, Replacing Covert
CARLSBAD, N.M., August 13, 2019 - Sean Dunagan, a recognized nuclear expert with almost 20 years of experience in the management and operation of deep geological repositories for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will replace Bruce Covert as president and project manager of Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), the management and operating contractor at DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[August 13, 2019]
WIPP Reaches Another Milestone
Just before midnight on June 27, EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) received its 12,500th transuranic (TRU) waste shipment since operations began at WIPP in 1999.
[July 08, 2019]
Workers Make Headway on New Ventilation System to Increase WIPP Airflow
CARLSBAD, N.M. - Progress continues on a new $135 million ventilation system at EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[May 24, 2019]
Early Career Professional Believes WIPP is Right Place for Career Growth
CARLSBAD, N.M, Forrest Queen has advanced his career quickly, going from Washington State University graduate to ventilation engineering manager at EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in just four years.
[May 01, 2019]
Argonne National Laboratory-East Resumes Shipments to WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M., December 26, 2018 – The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory located near Chicago, Illinois, resumed shipments of transuranic (TRU) waste to DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[December 26, 2018]
WIPPTREX training exercise
Following months of planning the City of Fort Worth, TX conducted a WIPPTREX training exercise at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex located in Fort Worth.
[November 28, 2018]
Key Ventilation System Construction Contract Awarded at WIPP
CARLSBAD, N.M., November 19, 2018 – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) announced today the award of a key infrastructure contract at the Department’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[November 19, 2018]
WIPP's West Inducted Into Mine Rescue Hall of Fame
Richard "Stik" West of EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was inducted into the Metal and Nonmetal National Mine Rescue Hall of Fame at last week's National Mine Rescue Competition in Lexington, Kentucky...
[July 30, 2018]
WIPP Breaks Ground for New Ventilation System
Carlsbad, NM – U.S. Department of Energy officials joined with local Southeast New Mexico community leaders today to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new and improved underground ventilation system for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
[June 17, 2018]
Routine Transuranic Waste Handling Operations Resume at WIPP
Routine transuranic waste handling processing and underground emplacement activities resumed at EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) on Saturday, June 2, after workers completed a recovery plan that involved repacking a seven-pack of waste drums that contained a misaligned...
[June 6, 2018]
Southwest Regional Mine Rescue competition
WIPP's mine rescue teams had a good week in the Southwest Regional Mine Rescue competition here in Carlsbad picking up several awards. The Red Team won first place in the overall competition as well as first place in the field and first aid sections.
[June 4, 2018]
WIPP Receives VPP Merit Recognition
WIPP is the proud of its continued status as a DOE Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) MERIT Site. DOE-VPP Merit promotes safety and health excellence through cooperative efforts among labor, management, and federal employees at DOE sites.
[February 7, 2018]
WIPP Resumes Mining Operations
Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP), the AECOM-led management and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), has a new president and project manager this week.
[June 12, 2017]
DOE Extends Contract for Operating WIPP
Carlsbad, New Mexico – The Department of Energy issued a modification to the contract with Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) for the management and operations of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, NM.
[September 15, 2017]
August 8 Workshop in Albuquerque on WIPP's Strategic Planning
Interested stakeholders are invited to attend an August 8 workshop on strategic planning for transuranic waste operations at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) through Fiscal Year 2050.
[August 1, 2017]
August 8 Workshop in Albuquerque on WIPP's Strategic Planning
Interested stakeholders are invited to attend an August 8 workshop on strategic planning for transuranic waste operations at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) through Fiscal Year 2050.
[August 1, 2017]
EPA Recertifies WIPP’s Continued Compliance with Radioactive Waste Disposal Standards
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has been recertified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and remains in full compliance with applicable EPA regulations for transuranic radioactive waste disposal.
[July 13, 2017]