View source for Physics:Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

{{Short description|Deep geological repository for radioactive waste}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
| native_name_lang = <!-- images -->
| logo = File:Seal of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.png
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_caption = Seal of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
| image = Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 2004.jpg
| image_caption = WIPP, a geological repository for radioactive waste 
<!-- map -->| map_type = New Mexico#USA
| image_map = WIPPFacility.jpg
| location = {{cvt|42|km|order=flip||}} east of Pecos River
| location_country = {{wipe|United States}}
| coordinates = {{coord|32|22|18|N|103|47|37|W|display=inline,title}}
<!-- stats -->| building_type = WIPP
| website = [http://www.wipp.energy.gov/ DOE: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant]
}}

The '''Waste Isolation Pilot Plant''', or '''WIPP''', is the world's third [[Earth:Deep geological repository|deep geological repository]] (after Germany's Repository for radioactive waste Morsleben and the Schacht Asse II salt mine) licensed to store [[Physics:Transuranium element|transuranic]] [[Physics:Radioactive waste|radioactive waste]] for 10,000 years. The storage rooms at the WIPP are 2,150 feet (660 m) underground in a salt formation of the Delaware Basin. The waste is from the research and production of United States nuclear weapons only.<ref>{{Cite web| title = U.S. Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP Site| accessdate = 2022-11-08| url = https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp-site.asp|quote=In 1979, Congress authorized WIPP, and the facility was constructed during the 1980s. Congress limited WIPP to the disposal of defense-generated TRU wastes in the 1992 Land Withdrawal Act. In 1998, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certified WIPP for safe, long-term disposal of TRU wastes.}}</ref><ref name=WSJ_2021-05-14 >{{ cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/escape-from-yucca-mountain-biden-administration-promises-progress-on-nuclear-waste-11620984602 | title=Escape From Yucca Mountain: Biden Administration Promises Progress on Nuclear Waste  | last=Rubin | first=Gabriel | newspaper=Wall Street Journal | date=2021-05-14 | quote=The only federally designated long-term disposal site for waste from the nuclear power industry is at Yucca Mountain in Nevada (there is also a site near Carlsbad, N.M., for waste generated by the government’s nuclear weapons program). }}</ref> The plant started operation in 1999, and the project is estimated to cost $19 billion in total.<ref name=Feder />

It is located approximately {{convert|26|mi|km}} east of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in eastern Eddy County, in an area known as the southeastern New Mexico nuclear corridor, which also includes the National Enrichment Facility near Eunice, New Mexico, the Waste Control Specialists low-level waste disposal facility just over the state line near Andrews, Texas, and the International Isotopes, Inc. facility to be built near Eunice, New Mexico.<ref>International Isotopes Inc.: [http://www.intisoid.com/index.php/fep/more-information/project-overview/ Project Overview]. ''Intisoid.com''</ref>

Various mishaps at the plant in 2014 brought focus to the problem of what to do with the growing backlog of waste and whether or not WIPP would be a safe repository.<ref name="Jeff Tollefson">{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.com/news/us-seeks-waste-research-revival-1.14804 |title=US seeks waste-research revival: Radioactive leak brings nuclear repositories into the spotlight |author=Jeff Tollefson |date=4 March 2014 |work=Nature }}</ref> The 2014 incidents involved a waste explosion and airborne release of radiological material that exposed 21 plant workers to small doses of radiation that were within safety limits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vartabedian |first1=Ralph |title=2014 accident at WIPP ranks among costliest in U.S. history |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/830731/2014-nuclear-accident-at-wipp-ranks-among-costliest-in-u-s-history.html |access-date=20 January 2017 |agency=Los Angeles Times |publisher=Albuquerque Journal |quote=Twenty-one workers on the surface received low doses of radiation that federal officials said were well within safety limits. No workers were in the mine when the drum blew. }}</ref>

==History==
===Geology and site selection===
In 1970 the United States Atomic Energy Commission (later merged into the Department of Energy) proposed a site in Lyons, {{wipe|Kansas}} for the isolation and storage of radioactive waste. Ultimately the Lyons site was deemed unusable due to local and regional opposition, and in particular the discovery of unmapped oil and gas wells located in the area. These wells were believed to potentially compromise the ability of the planned facility to contain nuclear waste. In 1973, as a result of these concerns, and because of positive interest from the southern New Mexico community, the DOE relocated the site of the proposed nuclear waste repository, now called the  Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), to the Delaware Basin salt beds located near  Carlsbad, New Mexico.<ref name=Kerr />

The Delaware Basin is a sedimentary basin formed largely during the Permian Period approximately 250 million years ago. It is one of three sub-basins of the Permian Basin in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. It contains a {{cvt|1500-2800|m|||order=flip}} thick column of sedimentary rock that includes some of the most oil- and gas-rich rocks in the United States.<ref name="Weeks">Weeks, Jennifer. "Nuclear Waste Buried for the Ages in New Mexico Desert". ''CQ Researcher'' 21.4 (2011): 84–85. Print.</ref> An ancient shallow sea repeatedly filled the basin and evaporated while the basin slowly subsided, leaving behind a nearly impermeable {{convert|1000|m|ft|adj=mid|-thick|order=flip}} layer of [[Earth:Evaporite|evaporite]]s, primarily salt, in the Salado and Castile Formations, geologically similar to other basins created by evaporitic inland seas. Over time the salt beds were covered by an additional {{cvt|300|m|||order=flip}} of soil and rock.<ref name="Kerr">Kerr, Richard A. "For Radioactive Waste from Weapons, a Home at Last". ''Science'' 283.5408 (1999): 1626. Print.</ref>  As drilling in the Salado Formation salt beds began in 1975, scientists discovered that at the edge of the basin there had been geological disturbances that had moved interbed layers into a nearly vertical position.<ref name=Kerr /> In response, the site was moved toward the more stable center of the basin where the Salado Formation salt beds are the thickest and perfectly horizontal.

Some observers suggested, early in the investigations, that the geological complexity of the basin was problematic, causing the hollowed-out caverns to be unstable.<ref name="Charles">Charles, Dan. "Will America's Nuclear Waste Be Laid To Rest?" ''New Scientist'' 132.1799 (1991): 16. Print.</ref> However, what is considered by some to be instability is considered by others to be a positive aspect of salt as a host rock. As early as 1957 the National Academy of Sciences recommended salt for radioactive waste disposal because at depth it would plastically deform, a motion called "salt creep" in the salt-mining industry. This would gradually fill in and seal any openings created by the mining, and in and around the waste.<ref name="National">{{cite book|publisher=National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council|date=1957|title="The Disposal of Radioactive Waste on Land", Report of the Committee on Waste Disposal of the Division of Earth Sciences|author1=Harry H. Hess|author2=John N. Adkins|author3=William E. Benson|author4=John C. Frye|author5=William B. Heroy|author6=M. Kinh Hubbert |author7=Richard J. Russell|author8=Charles V. Theis|location=Washington, D.C. |doi=10.17226/10294 |pmid=24967479 |hdl=2027/mdp.39015003392217 |isbn=978-0-309-58067-0 |url=http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10294|access-date=2015-06-02}}</ref>

[[File:WIPP-09.jpeg|thumb|upright|Installing supports in waste disposal rooms to keep them stable until filled]]

Exact placement of the construction site in the Delaware Basin changed multiple times due to safety concerns. [[Earth:Brine|Brine]] deposits located below the salt deposits in the Delaware Basin posed a potential safety problem. The brine was first discovered when a 1975 drilling released a pressurized deposit of the liquid from below the repository level.<ref name=Kerr /> Constructing the plant near one of these deposits could, under specific circumstances, compromise the facility’s safety. The brine could leak into the repository and either dissolve radioactivity or entrain particulate matter with [[Physics:Radioactive waste|radioactive waste]] to the surface. The contaminated brine would then need to be cleaned and properly disposed of. There is no drinking water near the site, so possible water pollution is not a concern. After multiple deep drilling, a final site was selected. The site is located approximately {{cvt|40|km|||order=flip}} east of Carlsbad.<ref name=Kerr />

Waste is placed in rooms {{convert|2150|ft|m}} underground that have been excavated within a {{convert|3000|ft|m|adj=on}} thick salt formation (Salado and Castile Formations) where [[Earth:Salt tectonics|salt tectonics]] have been stable for more than 250 million years.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} Because of [[Physics:Plasticity|plasticity effects]], salt will flow to any cracks that develop, a major reason why the area was chosen as a host medium for the WIPP project.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=Markers>[http://infoserve.sandia.gov/sand_doc/1992/921382.pdf Expert Judgment on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant], [[Organization:Sandia National Laboratories|Sandia National Laboratories]] report SAND92-1382 / UC-721 (1993)</ref><ref name="wayback.archive-it.org">{{cite web|title=Excerpts from "Expert Judgement on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant"|url=http://downlode.org/Etext/WIPP/|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20130704215345/http://downlode.org/Etext/WIPP/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 4, 2013|access-date=March 1, 2018}}</ref>

As of March 2022, the WIPP has received 40% of the authorized amount of waste set by the Land Withdrawal Act. More rooms and panels are to be added to accommodate for more waste.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EM Plans for WIPP's Future With New Ventilation, Infrastructure Improvements |url=https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/em-plans-wipps-future-new-ventilation-infrastructure-improvements |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Energy.gov |language=en}}</ref>

===Addressing public concerns via the EEG===
In order to address growing public unrest concerning construction of the WIPP, the New Mexico Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) was created in 1978.<ref name=Kerr /> This group, charged with overseeing the WIPP, verified statements, facts, and studies conducted and released by the DOE regarding the facility. The stewardship this group provided effectively lowered public fear{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} and let the facility progress with little public opposition in comparison to similar facilities around the nation such as Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

The EEG, in addition to acting as a check for the government agencies overseeing the project, acted as a valuable advisor. In a 1981 drilling, pressurized brine was again discovered. The site was set to be abandoned when the EEG stepped in and suggested a series of tests on the brine and the surrounding area. These tests were conducted and the results showed that the brine deposit was relatively small and was isolated from other deposits. Drilling in the area was deemed safe due to these results. This saved the project valuable money and time by preventing a drastic relocation.<ref name=Kerr />

===Early construction and testing complications===
In 1979 Congress authorized construction of the facility.<ref name="Lorenzi">Lorenzi, Neal. "DOE May Open Nuclear Waste Isolation Plant". ''Professional Safety'' 41.4 (1996): 54. Print.</ref> In addition to formal authorization, Congress redefined the level of waste to be stored in the WIPP from high temperature to transuranic, or low level, waste. Transuranic waste often consists of materials which have come in contact with radioactive substances such as [[Chemistry:Plutonium|plutonium]] and [[Chemistry:Uranium|uranium]]. This often includes gloves, tools, rags, and assorted machinery often used in the production of [[Physics:Nuclear fuel|nuclear fuel]] and [[Engineering:Nuclear weapon|weapons]].<ref name=Weeks /> Although much less potent than nuclear reactor byproducts, this waste still remains radioactive for approximately 24,000 years.<ref name=Charles /> This change in classification led to a decrease in safety parameters for the proposed facility, allowing construction to continue at a faster pace.<ref name=Kerr />

The first extensive testing of the facility was due to begin in 1988. The proposed testing procedures involved interring samples of low level waste in the newly constructed caverns. Various structural and environmental tests would then be performed on the facility to verify its integrity and to prove its ability to safely contain nuclear waste.<ref name="Mon">Monastersky, Richard. "First nuclear waste dump finally ready". ''Science News'' 140.15 (1991): 228. Print.</ref> Opposition from various external organizations delayed actual testing into the early 1990s. Attempts at testing were resumed in October 1991 with US Secretary of Energy James Watkins announcing that he would begin transportation of waste to the WIPP.<ref name=Charles />

Despite apparent progress on the facility, construction still remained costly and complicated. Originally conceptualized in the 1970s as a warehouse for waste, the repository now had regulations similar to those of nuclear reactors. As of December 1991, the plant had been under construction for 20 years and was estimated to have cost over one billion dollars (equivalent to ${{format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|1e9|1991}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars{{Inflation-fn|US-GDP}}).<ref name=Charles /> At the time, WIPP officials reported over 28 different organizations claimed authority over operations of the facility.<ref name=Charles />

===Congressional approval===
In November 1991, a federal judge ruled that Congress must approve WIPP before any waste, even for testing purposes, was sent to the facility. This indefinitely delayed testing until Congress gave its approval.<ref name=Charles /> The 102nd United States Congress passed legislation allowing use of the WIPP. The House of Representatives approved the facility on October 6, 1992 and the Senate passed a bill allowing the opening of the facility on October 8 of the same year.<ref name="Palmer">Palmer, Elizabeth A. "Senate Clears Bill To Start Tests At New Mexico Nuclear Dump". ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report'' 50.40 (1992): 3156. Print.</ref> The bill was met with much opposition in the Senate. Senator Richard H. Bryan fought the bill based on safety issues that concerned a similar facility located in Nevada, the state for which he was serving as senator.  His efforts almost prevented the bill from passing. New Mexico senators Pete V. Domenici and Jeff Bingaman effectively reassured Senator Bryan that these issues would be addressed in the 103rd Congress. The final legislation provided safety standards requested by the House and an expedited timeline requested by the Senate.<ref name=Palmer />

The final legislation mandated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue revised safety standards for the facility. It also required the EPA to approve testing plans for the facility within ten months. The legislation stated that the security standards mandated in the bill were only applicable to the WIPP in New Mexico and not to other facilities in the United States. This clause caused Senator Bryan to oppose the bill, as he wanted safety standards mandated by the bill to apply to the facility in Nevada as well.<ref name=Palmer />

===Testing and final certification===
In 1994, Congress ordered [[Organization:Sandia National Laboratories|Sandia National Laboratories]] to begin an extensive evaluation of the facility against the standards set forth by the EPA. Evaluation of the facility continued for four years, resulting in a cumulative total of 25 years of evaluation. In May 1998, the EPA concluded that there was "reasonable expectation" that the facility would contain the vast majority of the waste interred there.<ref name=Kerr />

The first nuclear waste arrived to the plant on March 26, 1999. This waste shipment was from [[Organization:Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos National Laboratory]], a major nuclear weapons research and development facility located north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Another shipment followed on April 6 of the same year. These shipments marked the beginning of plant operations.<ref name="Feder">Feder, Toni. "DOE Opens WIPP for Nuclear Waste Burial". ''Physics Today'' 52.5 (1999):  59. Print.</ref> As of December 2010, the plant had received and stored 9,207 shipments ({{cvt|76561|m3|order=flip|||disp=or}}) of waste. The majority of this waste was transported to the facility via railroad or truck.<ref name="auto"/> The final facility contains a total of 56 storage rooms located approximately {{cvt|650|m|||order=flip}} underground. Each room is {{cvt|300|ft|sigfig=1}} in length.<ref name=Mon /> The plant is estimated to continue accepting waste for 25 to 35 years and is estimated to cost a grand total of 19 billion dollars.<ref name=Feder />
[[File:Transuranic waste casks.jpg|thumb|Shipment of casks arriving at the WIPP]]

===Incidents at the WIPP===
[[File:WIPP DoE 2014-05-15 5 15 Image lrg.jpg|thumb|upright|On February 14, 2014, radioactive materials leaked from a damaged storage drum. Analysis of accidents at the WIPP, by DOE, have shown lack of a "safety culture" at the facility.<ref>Cameron L. Tracy, Megan K. Dustin & Rodney C. Ewing, [http://www.nature.com/news/policy-reassess-new-mexico-s-nuclear-waste-repository-1.19135 Policy: Reassess New Mexico's nuclear-waste repository], ''Nature'', 13 January 2016.</ref>]]

On February 5, 2014 at around 11:00&nbsp;a.m., a salt haul truck caught fire, prompting an evacuation of the underground facility.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fire prompts evacuation of WIPP plant| url=http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3313033.shtml#.UwASznlhd14 |publisher=KOB |access-date=16 February 2014}}</ref> Six workers were taken to a local hospital with smoke inhalation and were released by the next day. Lab tests after the fire confirmed that there was zero release of radiological material during, or as a result of, the fire.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carlsbad lab confirms no radiation leak after WIPP fire |work=Carlsbad Current Argus |url=http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25120404/lab-confirms-no-radiation-leak-after-wipp-fire |access-date=16 February 2014}}</ref> Underground air-monitoring equipment was out of commission after the truck fire.<ref name=wsj>{{cite news |last=Emshwiller |first=John |title=Managers Blamed in Nuclear Leak |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052702304788404579521881640155124 |access-date=29 April 2014 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=25 April 2014}}</ref>

On February 15, 2014, authorities ordered workers to shelter in place at the facility after air monitors had detected unusually high radiation levels at 11:30&nbsp;p.m. the previous day. None of the facility's 139 workers were underground at the time of the incident.<ref name=wipppr /><ref>{{cite web |title=Possible radiation leak at New Mexico military nuclear waste site |publisher=Reuters |date=February 16, 2014 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-radiation-leak-newmexico-idUSBREA1F06Y20140216 |access-date=February 16, 2014}}</ref> Later, trace amounts of airborne radiation consisting of [[Chemistry:Americium|americium]] and plutonium particles were discovered above ground, {{cvt|0.5|mi}} from the facility.<ref name=wipppr>{{cite press release |last=Gill |first=Deb |date=February 19, 2014 |title=Radiological Monitoring Continues at WIPP |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/pr/2014/2-19-14%20CBFO%20Release%20Radiological%20Sampling%20Continues%20at%20WIPP.pdf |publisher=WIPP |access-date=February 22, 2014}}</ref> In total, 22 workers were exposed to radioactive contaminants equaling that of a standard chest x-ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP Recovery - Accident Description |url=https://wipp.energy.gov/wipprecovery-accident-desc.asp |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=wipp.energy.gov}}</ref> The ''Carlsbad Current-Argus'' wrote: "the radiation leak occurred on the evening of February 14, according to new information made public at a news conference [on February 20]. Joe Franco, manager of the DOE Carlsbad Field Office, said an underground air monitor detected high levels of alpha and beta radiation activity consistent [''sic''] the waste buried at WIPP."<ref name=cca14>{{cite news |url=http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25195270/wipp-radiation-release-not-harmful-amount |last=Ponce |first=Zack |title=WIPP: Radiation not harmful amount |newspaper=Carlsbad Current-Argus |date=February 20, 2014 |access-date=February 22, 2014}}</ref> Regarding the elevated levels of plutonium and americium detected outside the nuclear waste repository, Ryan Flynn, New Mexico Environment Secretary stated during a news conference: "Events like this simply should never occur. From the state's perspective, one event is far too many."<ref>{{cite news |last=Villagran |first=Lauren |title=WIPP leaks 'should never occur' |url=http://www.abqjournal.com/356786/news/environment-chief-wipp-leaks-should-never-occur-2.html |access-date=23 February 2014 |newspaper=Albuquerque Journal |date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>

On February 26, 2014, the DOE announced that 13 WIPP above-ground workers had tested positive for exposure to radioactive material. Other employees were in the process of being tested. On Thursday, February 27, DOE announced that it sent out "a letter to tell people in two counties what they do know so far. Officials said it is too early to know what that means for the workers' health."<ref>{{cite web |last=Mitri |first=Lysee |url=http://krqe.com/2014/02/26/13-wipp-employees-test-positive-for-radiation/ |title=13 WIPP employees test positive for radiation |publisher=KRQE News 13 |date=2014-02-26 |access-date=2015-06-02}}</ref> Additional testing would be done on employees who were working at the site the day after the leak. Above ground, 182 employees continued to work. A February 27 update included comments on plans to discover what occurred below ground first by using unmanned probes and then people.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vallez |first=Kim |url=http://krqe.com/2014/02/27/update-expected-on-radiation-leak-at-wipp/ |title=WIPP officials plan reopening, cleanup |publisher=KRQE News 13 |date=2014-02-27 |access-date=2015-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Greenspun |first=Brian |title=It could have been us instead of New Mexico |url=http://lasvegassun.com/news/2014/mar/02/it-could-have-been-us-instead-new-mexico/ |access-date=2 March 2014 |newspaper=Las Vegas Sun |date=March 2, 2014}}</ref>

The Southwest Research and Information Center released a report on April 15, 2014<ref>{{cite web |last=Southwest Research and Information Center |title=WIPP Radiation Release, April 15, 2014 |url=http://www.sric.org/nuclear/docs/WIPP_Leak_04152014.pdf |publisher=SRIC |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> that one or more of 258 contact-handled radioactive waste containers located in room&nbsp;7, panel&nbsp;7 of the underground repository released radioactive and toxic chemicals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, WIPP Status Report |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/general/GenerateWippStatusReport.pdf |work=Version 2.3 |publisher=Waste Data System, U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The location of the leak was estimated to be approximately {{convert|1500|ft|m}} from the air monitor that triggered the contaminants in the filtration system. The contaminants were spread through more than {{convert|3000|ft|m}} of tunnels, leading to the {{convert|2150|ft|m|adj=on}} exhaust shaft into the surrounding above-ground environment. Air-monitoring station #107, located {{convert|0.5|mi|km|sigfig=1}} away, detected the radiotoxins. The filter from station #107 was analyzed by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC) and found to contain 0.64&nbsp;[[Becquerel|becquerel]]s (Bq) per cubic meter of air of americium-241 and 0.014&nbsp;Bq of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 per cubic meter of air (equivalent to 0.64 and 0.014 radioactive decay events per second per cubic meter of air).<ref>{{cite web |last=Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center |title=CEMRC Detects Trace Amounts of Radioactive Particles at Air Sampling Station Near WIPP Facility |url=http://www.cemrc.org/2014/02/19/cemrc-detects-trace-amounts-radioactive-particles-air-sampling-station-near-wipp-facility/ |publisher=New Mexico State University |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The DOE agreed that there was a release of radioactivity from the repository and confirmed that "The event took place starting at 14 February 2014 at 23:14 and continued to 15 February 2014 14:45."<ref>{{cite web |last=United States Department of Energy |title=February 14, 2014, contamination release consequence assessment |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/Special/Modeling%20Results.pdf |work=EA09CN3031-2-0 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The DOE also confirmed that "A large shift in wind direction can be seen to occur around 8:30 AM on 2/15/14."<ref>{{cite web |last=WIPP Waste Isolation Pilot Plant |title=WIPP update |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/WIPPRecovery/Recovery.html |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=New Mexico Environment Department |title=Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Response to February Underground Salt Truck Fire and Radionuclide Release Events |url=http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/NMED/Issues/WIPP2014.html |publisher=New Mexico Environment Department |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The EPA reported on the radiological release on their WIPP News page.<ref>{{cite web |title=WIPP News |url=http://www.epa.gov/radiation/news/wipp-news.html |publisher=EPA |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref>

After analysis by CEMRC, the station&nbsp;A filter was found on February 15, 2014 to be contaminated with 4,335.71&nbsp;Bq of Am-241 per every {{convert|1|m3|order=flip}}, and 671.61&nbsp;Bq of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 per every {{convert|1|m3|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |last=New Mexico State University, CEMRC |title=Station A and B Activity thru 4-1-14 |url=http://www.cemrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Station-A-and-B-Activity-thru-4-1-14.pdf |publisher=CMERC |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> Bob Alvarez, former DOE official, stated that the long-term ramifications of the WIPP issue are grounded in the fact that the DOE has {{convert|66000|m3|abbr=on}} of transuranic waste that has not been disposed of due to the fact that there are no long-term disposition plans for transuranic waste, including 5&nbsp;tons of plutonium that are in-situ at the Savannah River Site, as well as water from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State.<ref>{{cite web |last=Alvarez |first=Bob |title=The WIPP story: it is now and will be a saga… |url=http://safeenergy.org/2014/03/26/the-wipp-story-will-be-a-saga/ |publisher=SafeEnergy, Greenworld |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> In an article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Alvarez wrote that "Wastes containing plutonium blew through the WIPP ventilation system, traveling 2,150 feet to the surface, contaminating at least 17 workers, and spreading small amounts of radioactive material into the environment."<ref>{{cite web |last=Alvarez |first=Robert |title=The WIPP problem, and what it means for defense nuclear waste disposal |date=March 23, 2014 |url=http://thebulletin.org/wipp-problem-and-what-it-means-defense-nuclear-waste-disposal7002#.UzBYydcs1FA.twitter |publisher=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref> The URS Corporation, who oversees WIPP, removed and demoted the contracted manager of the repository. Alvarez ponders the notion of "contract handling" of radioactive waste because it deploys conventional processing practices that do not take into consideration the tens of thousands of containers buried before 1970 at several Department of Energy sites. Alvarez states that the quantity of this pre-1970 plutonium waste is 1,300 times more than the amount permitted to "leak" into the environment at WIPP; however, much of this waste is simply buried a few feet underground at DOE sites.<ref>{{cite web |last=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |title=The Waste Isolation Plant (40 CFR Parts 191 and 194) |url=http://www.epa.gov/enviro/facts/radinfo/cfr_191_194.html |publisher=EPA |access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref>

The source of contamination was later found to be a barrel that exploded on February 14 because contractors at [[Organization:Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos National Laboratory]] packed it with ''organic'' cat litter instead of ''clay'' cat litter. Other barrels with the same problem were then sealed in larger containers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/23/315279895/organic-kitty-litter-chief-suspect-in-nuclear-waste-accident |title=Organic Cat Litter Chief Suspect In Nuclear Waste Accident |newspaper=NPR.org |date=2014-05-23 |access-date=2015-06-02}}</ref> Anthropologist Vincent Ialenti has examined the political, social, and financial triggers to this organic kitty litter error in detail, linking it to the accelerated pace of the Department of Energy's and State of New Mexico's 3706 nuclear waste cleanup campaign, which ran from 2011 to 2014. Ialenti's study was published in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in July 2018.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vincent |first=Ialenti |date=2018 |title=Waste Makes Haste: How a Campaign to Speed Up Nuclear Waste Shipments Shut Down the WIPP Long-Term Repository |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |language=en |volume=74 |issue=4 |pages=262–275 |ssrn=3203978 |bibcode=2018BuAtS..74d.262I |doi=10.1080/00963402.2018.1486616 |s2cid=149512093}}</ref>

The 2014 incidents raised the question of whether or not WIPP would be a safe replacement for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada, as a destination for all waste generated at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants.<ref name="Jeff Tollefson"/> The cost of the 2014 accident was expected to exceed $2&nbsp;billion and disrupted other programs in various nuclear-industry sites.<ref>Vartabedian, Ralph. (August 22, 2016). "[http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-new-mexico-nuclear-dump-20160819-snap-story.html Nuclear accident in New Mexico ranks among the costliest in U.S. history]". ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref> On January 9, 2017, the plant was formally reopened after three years of cleanup costing $500&nbsp;million, which is significantly less than forecasted.<ref>Conca, James (January 10, 2017). "[https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2017/01/10/wipp-nuclear-waste-repository-reopens-for-business/#40fad3574b5c WIPP Nuclear Waste Repository Reopens For Business]". Retrieved January 26, 2017.</ref> On April 10, the plant received its first shipment of waste since reopening.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wipp.energy.gov/Special/WIPP%20Update%204_10_17.pdf |title=WIPP UPDATE: April 10, 2017 - WIPP Receives First Shipment Since Reopening |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527044833/https://wipp.energy.gov/Special/WIPP%20Update%204_10_17.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2020, a subcontractor at the WIPP opened a $32 million lawsuit claiming that "the company that runs the facility breached its contract to rebuild the nuclear waste repository's air system." Due to the 2014 incident, a Texas-based company named Critical Application Alliance LLC was hired to build a new ventilation system. The project was going to fix the flawed design in roof panels, the foundation of the WIPP, and a highly defective control system design.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Scott Wyland |date=Oct 29, 2020 |orig-year=Updated Dec 4, 2021 |title=Subcontractor sues WIPP for $32 million in canceled work |website=Santa Fe New Mexican |language=en |url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/subcontractor-sues-wipp-for-32-million-in-canceled-work/article_c808ff10-191e-11eb-b16b-635aff799686.html |access-date=2022-12-13}}</ref>

==Climate==
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is where the highest temperature ever recorded in New Mexico at {{convert|122|F|C}} occurred during the summer of 1994.

{{Weather box
|location = Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, New Mexico
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 82
|Feb record high F = 89
|Mar record high F = 93
|Apr record high F = 102
|May record high F = 109
|Jun record high F = 122
|Jul record high F = 113
|Aug record high F = 115
|Sep record high F = 113
|Oct record high F = 100
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 82
|year record high F=

|Jan avg record high F = 75.64
|Feb avg record high F = 80.50
|Mar avg record high F = 87.80
|Apr avg record high F = 94.25
|May avg record high F = 101.38
|Jun avg record high F = 107.16
|Jul avg record high F = 105.42
|Aug avg record high F = 102.96
|Sep avg record high F = 99.71
|Oct avg record high F = 93.31
|Nov avg record high F = 82.41
|Dec avg record high F = 76.15
|year avg record high F=

|Jan high F = 60.1
|Feb high F = 64.7
|Mar high F = 73.1
|Apr high F = 81.7
|May high F = 89.9
|Jun high F = 97.7
|Jul high F = 96.9
|Aug high F = 95.2
|Sep high F = 89.0
|Oct high F = 80.9
|Nov high F = 68.5
|Dec high F = 60.4
|year high F=
|Jan low F = 29.4
|Feb low F = 33.2
|Mar low F = 39.2
|Apr low F = 47.4
|May low F = 56.8
|Jun low F = 65.7
|Jul low F = 69.0
|Aug low F = 67.9
|Sep low F = 60.7
|Oct low F = 49.6
|Nov low F = 37.1
|Dec low F = 29.4
|year low F=

|Jan avg record low F = 15.86
|Feb avg record low F = 17.93
|Mar avg record low F = 21.30
|Apr avg record low F = 30.91
|May avg record low F = 40.74
|Jun avg record low F = 55.73
|Jul avg record low F = 62.15
|Aug avg record low F = 59.81
|Sep avg record low F = 48.36
|Oct avg record low F = 33.48
|Nov avg record low F = 20.24
|Dec avg record low F = 12.93
|year avg record low F= 12.0

|Jan record low F = 6
|Feb record low F = -4
|Mar record low F = 6
|Apr record low F = 21
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 50
|Jul record low F = 56
|Aug record low F = 56
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 19
|Nov record low F = 12
|Dec record low F = 1
|year record low F=
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.41
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.50
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.49
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.58
|May precipitation inch = 1.29
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.55
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.13
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.80
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.12
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.02
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.28
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.70
|year precipitation inch= 12.88
|source 1 = Western Regional Climate Center<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nm9569 |title=WASTE ISOL PILOT PLT, NEW MEXICO (299569) |access-date=April 24, 2015 |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center}}</ref>
|date=April 2016
}}

==Future ==
[[File:WIPP-05.jpeg|thumb|upright|Warnings on a waste container]]
Following the interment of waste in the facility, estimated to be sometime between 2025 and 2035{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} the storage caverns will be collapsed and sealed with 13 layers of concrete and soil. Salt will then seep into and fill the various fissures and cracks surrounding the casks of waste. After approximately 75 years, the waste will be completely isolated from the environment.<ref>Renaud, Chris. "Cool Wipp". ''Environment'' 41.1 (1999): 22. Print.</ref>

The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository is an unfinished, currently defunct deep geological repository in Nye County, Nevada. In 1987, Congress selected Yucca Mountain to be researched as the potential first permanent repository of nuclear waste, and directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to disregard other proposed sites and study the Yucca Mountain exclusively. However, federal funding for the site was terminated in 2011 by amendment to the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, passed on April 14, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/112/plaws/publ10/PLAW-112publ10.pdf|title=PUBLIC LAW 112–10—APR. 15, 2011 : DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011|website=Congress.gov|access-date=February 6, 2022}}</ref>

==Criteria==
Waste that is to be disposed of at WIPP must meet certain "waste acceptance criteria".<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/library/wac/WAC.pdf|title=TRANSURANIC WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT Revision 8.0|via=wipp.energy.gov}}</ref> It accepts transuranic waste generated from DOE activities. The waste must have radioactivity exceeding {{convert|100|nCi|kBq|lk=on}} per gram from TRUs that produce alpha radiation with a half life greater than 20 years. This criterion includes [[Chemistry:Plutonium|plutonium]], [[Chemistry:Uranium|uranium]], [[Chemistry:Americium|americium]], and [[Chemistry:Neptunium|neptunium]] among others. The WIPP must not act as disposal site for any high-level radioactive waste or any nuclear fuel that has already been used.<ref name=":0">{{Cite report |author=Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office |date=2018-10-18 |title=TRANSURANIC WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT Revision 9 |url=https://wipp.energy.gov/library/wac/DOE-WIPP-02-3122_Rev_9_FINAL.pdf |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |pages=122 |via=wipp.energy.gov}}</ref> Mixed waste contains both radioactive and hazardous constituents, and WIPP first received mixed waste on September 9, 2000. Mixed waste is joint-regulated by the EPA and the New Mexico Environment Department.

The containers may also contain a limited amount of liquids. The energy released from radioactive materials will dissociate water into hydrogen and oxygen ([[Physics:Radiolysis|radiolysis]]). This could then create a potentially explosive environment inside the container. The containers must be vented, as well, to prevent this from happening. All containers must pass a visual inspection that is documented to insure that all containers are in good condition. "Good condition" is described "[not having significant rusting, is of sound and structural integrity, and does not show signs of leakage."<ref name=":0" />

==Principle==
Waste is placed in rooms {{convert|2150|ft|m}} underground that have been excavated within a {{convert|3000|ft|m|adj=on}} thick salt formation (Salado and Castile Formations) where [[Earth:Salt tectonics|salt tectonics]] have been stable for more than 250 million years.<ref>{{Cite tech report |last=Borns |first=D. J. |last2=Barrows |first2=L. J. |last3=Powers |first3=D. W. |last4=Snyder |first4=R. P. |date=1983-03-01 |title=Deformation of evaporites near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site |doi=10.2172/6467937 |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6467937 |language=en |via=OSTI.GOV}}</ref> Because of [[Physics:Plasticity|plasticity effects]], salt and water will flow to any cracks that develop, a major reason why the area was chosen as a host medium for the WIPP project. Because drilling or excavation in the area will be hazardous long after the area is actively used, there are plans to construct markers to deter inadvertent human intrusion for the next ten thousand years.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=Markers/><ref name="wayback.archive-it.org"/>

The Salado Formation is a massive bedded salt deposit (>99% NaCl) that has a simple [[Earth:Hydrogeology|hydrogeology]]. Because massive NaCl is somewhat plastic, so holes close under pressure, the rock becomes non-porous by effectively closing pores and fractures. This has a significant effect on the overall hydraulic conductivities (water permeabilities) and molecular diffusion coefficients. These are on the order of ≤10<sup>−14</sup>&nbsp;m/s and ≤10<sup>−15</sup>&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>/s respectively.<ref>{{Cite journal |first1=Richard L. |last1=Beauheim |first2=Randall M. |last2=Roberts |title=Hydrology and hydraulic properties of a bedded evaporite formation |journal=Journal of Hydrology |volume=259 |issue=1–4 |year=2002 |pages=66–88 |doi=10.1016/S0022-1694(01)00586-8 |bibcode=2002JHyd..259...66B |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc718569/}}</ref><ref>J. L. Conca, M. J. Apted, and R. C. Arthur, "Aqueous Diffusion in Repository and Backfill Environments", ''Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XVI'', Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, vol. 294, p. 395 (1993).</ref>

<gallery>
File:WIPP-04.jpeg|Storage of radioactive waste at WIPP
File:WIPP-07.jpeg|Labeled 100-gallon drums staged for downloading and emplacement in the repository
File:WIPP-08.jpeg|The DOSCO rotary head mining machine at WIPP
</gallery>

==Awareness triggers==
[[File:Logo iso radiation.svg|thumb|right|2007 ISO radioactivity danger logo]]

Since 1983, the DOE has been working with linguists, archaeologists, anthropologists, materials scientists, science fiction writers, and futurists to come up with a warning system.<ref name="Episode 114: Ten Thousand Years">{{cite web | url=http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/ten-thousand-years/ | title=Episode 114: Ten Thousand Years | date=May 12, 2014 | access-date=2 July 2015 | author=Roman}}</ref> For the case of the WIPP, the markers, called "passive institutional controls", will include an outer perimeter of thirty-two {{convert|25|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Chemistry:Granite|granite]] pillars built in a four-mile (6&nbsp;km) square. These pillars will surround an earthen wall, {{convert|33|ft|m}} tall and {{convert|100|ft|m}} wide. Enclosed within this wall will be another 16 granite pillars. At the center, directly above the waste site, will sit a roofless, {{convert|15|ft|m|adj=on}} granite room providing more information. The team intends to etch warnings and informational messages into the granite slabs and pillars.{{citation needed|date=April 2021|reason=It's unclear what the source for the section about granite pillars is.}}

This information will be recorded in the six official languages of the United Nations (English, Spanish, Russian, French, Chinese, [[Social:Arabic language|Arabic]]) as well as the Native American [[Social:Navajo language|Navajo language]] native to the region, with additional space for translation into future languages. [[Pictogram]]s are also being considered, such as [[Stick figure|stick figure]] images and the iconic ''The Scream'' from Edvard Munch's painting. Complete details about the plant will not be stored on site; instead, they would be distributed to archives and libraries around the world. The team plans to submit their final plan to the U.S. Government by around 2028 and they will finalize the warning messages by 2033.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite journal |title=Danger! Keep Out! Do Not Enter! |journal=Science Illustrated |date=May–June 2008}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:WIPP Information Center.png|Design for the WIPP information room
File:WIPP Large Surface Marker - Controlled Area Boundary.svg|A proposed notice for the markers outlining a {{cvt|41|km2|||order=flip}} exclusion area around the WIPP facility.<ref name="auto"/>
File:WIPP - Small Subsurface Markers.svg|Proposed design for small disks that will be randomly scattered and buried within the controlled zone, to warn people digging that it is dangerous and they should stop.<ref name="auto"/>
File:WIPP Large Surface Marker - Repository Footprint.svg|A proposed notice for the markers on the actual site of the repository.<ref name="auto"/>
File:Conceptual design of WIPP's permanent marker system with labels.png|The conceptual design of warning markers at the WIPP site.
</gallery>

==Underground laboratory==
[[File:EXO underground laboratory.JPG|thumb|right|[[Engineering:Cleanroom|Cleanroom]]s for EXO installed in a tunnel at WIPP]]
A portion of the site is used to house underground [[Physics:Physics|physics]] experiments<ref>{{cite web
 |title=Underground Lab Capability at WIPP
 |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/science/UG_Lab/UG_Lab.htm
 |access-date=2017-10-23
}}</ref>  which require shielding from [[Astronomy:Cosmic ray|cosmic ray]]s.  Although only moderately deep as such laboratories go (1585 [[Physics:Meter water equivalent|meter water equivalent]] shielding<ref>{{cite journal 
|title=The Cosmic Ray Muon Flux at WIPP
 |journal=Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
 |volume=538
 |issue=1–3
 |pages=516–525
 |first1=E.-I. |last1=Esch  |first2=T.J. |last2=Bowles  |first3=A. |last3=Hime
 |first4=A. |last4=Pichlmaier  |first5=R. |last5=Reifarth  |first6=H. |last6=Wollnik
 |arxiv=astro-ph/0408486 |date=25 August 2004
|doi=10.1016/j.nima.2004.09.005
 |s2cid=18910131
 }}</ref>{{Rp|8}}), the site has several advantages. The salt is easy to excavate,<ref>{{cite conference
 |title=Underground Labs in Japan and North America
 |first=Hank |last=Sobel |type=presentation
 |url=http://www.ps.uci.edu/~sobel/Temp2/Sobel_TAUP'05_Underground_Labs.pdf#page=24
 |conference=IX International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2005)
 |conference-url=http://www.unizar.es/taup2005/
 |location=Zaragoza, Spain |date=14 September 2005
}}</ref>{{Rp|24}} dry (no water to pump out), and salt is much lower in naturally occurring [[Physics:Radionuclide|radionuclide]]s than rock.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.wipp.energy.gov/science/UG_Lab/cleansalt.htm
 |title=WIPP's Salt Formation is Very Low in Naturally Occurring Radioactivity
 |access-date=2017-10-23
}}</ref>

The WIPP plant suffered an accident in February 2014 that forced all scientific activities to cease;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wipp.energy.gov/science-at-wipp.asp|title=Science at WIPP|website=wipp.energy.gov}}</ref> for most experiments, it took one to two years to recover, and not all experiments recovered to continue their activities in WIPP. Especially it is unknown whether the Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber collaboration recovered their operations in WIPP after the February 2014 events.

Currently (2018) the WIPP houses the [[Physics:Enriched Xenon Observatory|Enriched Xenon Observatory]] (EXO) searching for neutrinoless double beta decay. The dark matter experiment collaboration that operated in WIPP before 2014, [[Physics:Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber|Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber]] (DMTPC), is continuing their work and aims to deploy their next detector at [[Astronomy:SNOLAB|SNOLAB]]. After the 2014 events at the WIPP the DMTPC experiments were put on hold, but are expected to resume after the building is finished and waste is done being placed in the facility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - Science at WIPP |url=https://wipp.energy.gov/science-at-wipp.asp#1504629476242-db07ed3a-2b04 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=wipp.energy.gov}}</ref> The detector that the DMTPC collaboration had at WIPP was the '''10-L DMTPC''' prototype detector (with active volume of 10 litres, hence the name 10-L or 10L) which started operations at WIPP October 2010.

Also the EXO collaboration is continuing their activities. The planned end of the EXO operations in WIPP is December 2018, and the collaboration is planning to have the next-stage detector built in [[Astronomy:SNOLAB|SNOLAB]]. This means that the two biggest experimental infrastructures (EXO and DMTPC) of WIPP intend to relocate to SNOLAB and cease their operations in WIPP before the end of 2019. This would leave WIPP underground laboratory without any major scientific experiment.

Previous experiments at WIPP include the neutrinoless double beta decay searching MAJORANA Project detectors called '''Segmented Enriched Germanium Assembly''' ('''SEGA''') and '''Multiple Element Germanium Array''' ('''MEGA'''); these were prototype detectors used to develop the measurement apparatus of the collaboration that were deployed 2004 in WIPP. Since then (2014 onwards), the MAJORANA collaboration has constructed a detector, the MAJORANA Demonstrator, at [[Organization:Sanford Underground Research Facility|Sanford Underground Research Facility]] (SURF) at Lead, South Dakota. The MAJORANA collaboration remains active (as of 2019) and aims to construct a large neutrinoless double beta decay experiment LEGEND after the MAJORANA Demonstrator phase.

Some smaller neutrino and dark matter experiments that have been mostly technology development oriented have also taken place at WIPP. There have also been a number of biology experiments in WIPP; for example, these experiments have studied the biological conditions of the deep under ground salt deposit. In one experiment, researchers were able to cultivate bacteria from 250 million year old spores found in WIPP. The Low Background Radiation Experiment studies the effects of reduced radiation environment to biological systems. The Low Background Radiation Experiment was stopped along with all other experiments in February 2014, but continued after summer 2016 at WIPP and has been ongoing since.

The 2000 testing of actinide transport within the Culebra Dolomite from the surrounding area of Carlsbad, New Mexico, was one of many experiments at this location to address concerns for lab safety.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Glenn O. |last2=Lucero |first2=Daniel A. |last3=Hsieh |first3=Hsuan-Tsung |date=2000-09-22 |title=Laboratory Column Experiments for Radionuclide Adsorption Studies of the Culebra Dolomite at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/763157 |journal=Journal of Contaminant Hydrology |osti=763157 |language=en}}</ref> Other geology/geophysics experiments have taken place at WIPP, as have some special experiments relating to the operations of the Plant as a repository of radioactive waste.

==See also==
<!-- *Onkalo Nuclear Power Plant
#Onkalo_waste_repository??? a_name now: #Onkalo_spent_nuclear_fuel_repository
but there's a main article on the spent nuclear fuel repository: -->
*Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository
*Human Interference Task Force
*Stored Waste Examination Pilot Plant
*Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository
*Project Gnome
*[[Engineering:List of nuclear waste treatment technologies|List of nuclear waste treatment technologies]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="auto">{{cite tech report|author=((John Hart and Associates, P.A.)) |date=19 August 2004 |title=Permanent Markers Implementation Plan |publisher=Department of Energy |doi=10.2172/990726 |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/990726 |access-date=21 January 2023 |via=OSTI.GOV}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
*Weitzberg, Abraham, 1982, "Building on Existing Institutions to Perpetuate Knowledge of Waste Repositories", ONWI-379, available through the National Technical Information Service.
*Kaplan, Maureen F., 1982, "Archeological Data as a Basis for Repository Marker Design", ONWI-354, available through the National Technical Information Service.
*Berry, Warren E., 1983, "Durability of Marker Materials for Nuclear Waste Isolation Sites", ONWI-474,  available through the National Technical Information Service.
*Human Interference Task Force, 1984, "Reducing the Likelihood of Future Human Activities that could Affect Geologic High-level Waste Repositories", BMI/ONWI-537, available through the National Technical Information Service.
*Sebeok, Thomas A., 1984, "Communication Measures to Bridge Ten Millennia", BMI/ONWI-532, available through the National Technical Information Service.
*INTERA Technologies, 1985, "Preliminary Analyses of Scenarios for Potential Human Interference for Repositories in Three Salt Formations", BMI/ONWI-553, available through the National Technical Information Service.
*van Wyck, Peter C. ''Signs of Danger: Waste, Trauma, and Nuclear Threat.'' Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005.

==External links==
* [http://alsos.wlu.edu/adv_rst.aspx?keyword=wipp&results=20 Annotated bibliography] for WIPP from the [[Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues]]


[[Category:Waste treatment technology]]
[[Category:Underground laboratories]]
[[Category:Laboratories in the United States]]

{{Sourceattribution|Waste Isolation Pilot Plant}}