News Sports Opinion Lifestyle High School Obituaries E-Edition Legals
The successful cleanup of nuclear waste sites: Past, present, and future
Paul Dabbar
Under Secretary for Science, the Department of Energy
In 1989, the Department of Energy (DOE) began an ambitious but necessary endeavor: the cleanup of 107 sites that bore the environmental legacy of the United States' work in developing nuclear programs that helped end World War II and the Cold War.
Over the next 30 years, DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) developed and oversaw this undertaking, tackling a collective area nearly the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. In that time, EM's projects and efforts have successfully shrunk the original "footprint" of 107 sites comprising 3,100 square miles by 90% down to 16 sites with an active footprint today of less than 300 square miles. The task involved cleaning up contaminated soils, groundwater, and streams and demolishing massive enrichment buildings and former research facilities.
It would be difficult to exaggerate the vital role that the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has played in this mission as the nation's only repository for transuranic (TRU) waste generated by atomic energy defense activities – clothing, tools, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other man-made radioactive elements. This waste, safely packaged, is emplaced in rooms excavated from a salt bed nearly a half-mile underground.
WIPP celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and is recognized as a vital part of the community. WIPP has received more than 12,700 shipments of transuranic waste since it began operations. Truck drivers transporting waste to WIPP have exceeded 15.2 million miles without incident, which is equivalent to about 33 roundtrips to the moon. WIPP has received and disposed of transuranic waste from 22 sites.
Simply put, without WIPP DOE could not achieve its cleanup mission.
Make no mistake: The job is not done, and tough challenges remain. Contending with unforeseen situations like the COVID-19 pandemic adds to those challenges, impacting every aspect of life, including operations at EM sites. The workforce at WIPP and other EM sites has demonstrated remarkable resilience, adjusting to changing conditions and safely performing activities needed to protect the health and safety of the environment, while addressing national security needs.
Even though the EM complex has significantly reduced operations, the WIPP workforce continued to support important TRU shipments to WIPP. This is a testament to the can-do spirit of the site workforce. As the WIPP progresses through a phased and deliberate approach toward resuming full activities, the Department's top priority is the health and safety of the WIPP workforce. Enhanced safety protocols that have been instituted during the pandemic will continue to provide protection of that workforce.
I can say with confidence that our cleanup successes over the previous three decades have set the stage for significant progress throughout this new decade at each of the 16 DOE sites where work continues. EM remains on the precipice of what will serve as an inflection point across the program.
Earlier this year, DOE released "EM Vision 2020 - 2030, A Time of Transition and Transformation," a report that provides a snapshot of major achievements possible by the end of the decade, including at WIPP.
Before the halfway point of the decade, WIPP will see a host of infrastructure improvements that will enhance the construction of waste emplacement capabilities. The new Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) will dramatically increase worker well-being by providing a significant increase in airflow. The SSCVS will allow for simultaneous mining, waste emplacement, and ground control activities, something that is not currently possible. Construction has also started on a new utility shaft, an EM priority for 2020 that will provide air intake to support ventilation and a larger capacity hoist to transport salt and materials to the surface. Over the next 10 years, approximately 25,000 cubic meters of TRU waste could be emplaced at WIPP thanks in large part to these improvements.
Of course, none of this will be possible without the hard work of our federal and contractor team members, nor without the support of the communities surrounding the site. We view the EM Strategic Vision as a living document, and we look forward to engaging with the WIPP community in a continued dialogue on a common vision for success. I am confident that with the continued dedication of all who are connected to WIPP, we will keep seeing progress at the site.
Paul Dabbar is the Under Secretary for Science, the Department of Energy's principal advisor on fundamental energy research, energy technologies, and science.
"EM Vision 2020 - 2030, A Time of Transition and Transformation" can be found at https://bit.ly/3cOuqyM.
© 2021 www.currentargus.com. All rights reserved.