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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 16 March 2022
Watchdog has concerns with projects at U.S. nuclear repository

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRY- els in the short term, but
AN the report noted that it's
Associated Press unclear whether the new
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — space will be ready in time
There's no way of knowing to prevent an interruption
if cost increases and missed of disposal operations.
construction deadlines New Mexico regulators also
will continue at the only have yet approve permit
U.S. underground nuclear changes and other re-
waste repository, accord- quests from the Energy De-
ing to independent federal partment, and it's unclear
investigators, according to how long that will take.
results of a federal watch- Department officials in a re-
dog report made public sponse to the report agreed
Tuesday. with the recommendations
The Government Account- aimed at addressing the
ability Office outlined the root causes of the cost in-
concerns in its report, not- creases and construction
ing that the U.S. Energy De- delays to ensure "that DOE
partment is not required to projects benefit taxpayers
develop a corrective ac- while reducing the risk to
tion plan for addressing the This March 6, 2014 file photo shows the idled Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the nation's only under- human health and the en-
root causes of challenges ground nuclear waste repository, near Carlsbad, N.M. vironment."
at the Waste Isolation Pilot Associated Press Nuclear watchdog groups
Plant in southern New Mex- have been critical of the
ico. area, an expansive desert will be filled in 2025. There are plans for two new pan- Energy Department. q
A multimillion-dollar project that is also home to one
is underway at the under- of the most productive oil-
ground facility to install a fields in the world.
new ventilation system so While some corrective
that full operations can re- measures were taken, de-
sume, following a radiation partment officials told the
leak in 2014 forced the re- Government Accountabili-
pository's closure for nearly ty Office that they have not
three years. updated an internal system
Operations after it re- that is meant to track risks
opened had to be throttled and mitigation measures.
back because parts of the Without the updates, En-
facility were contaminated ergy Department officials
and airflow was reduced. may not be able to meet
Federal officials have said their waste disposal sched-
that the construction proj- ule, "which could in turn
ect will ensure that the re- create shipping delays and
pository can meet the En- cost increases for the sites
ergy Department's needs that are generating the
for disposing of tons of Cold waste," the accountability
War-era waste left behind office's report said.
by decades of bomb mak- The report reiterated that
ing and nuclear research. the repository is running
But the Government Ac- out of permitted space for
countability Office report waste and that the Energy
stated that the Energy De- Department has a large
partment faces construc- amount of "transuranic
tion and regulatory risks waste" — which typically
that might delay its plans. consists of lab coats, rub-
According to Energy De- ber gloves, tools and debris
partment documents, the contaminated with pluto-
ventilation project as of last nium and other radioactive
fall was projected to cost elements — at sites around
about $486 million, nearly the country that still requires
70% more than originally disposal.
planned. The project also The repository was carved
is about three years behind out of an ancient salt for-
schedule, with a new esti- mation about a half-mile
mated completion date of (0.8 kilometer) below the
January 2026. surface, with the idea that
The Energy Department the shifting salt would even-
had blamed significant tually entomb the radioac-
cost overruns and delays tive waste.
on the contractor's inex- Its current footprint includes
perience and difficulties in eight panels, which the En-
attracting workers to the ergy Department estimates