Nuclear energy may be vital in the energy transition, but the disposal of the waste left behind still stirs debate to this day. To this end, the US government is looking for a new partner to store waste from its nuclear defence scheme.
A shipment of radioactive waste arrives at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The waste will be entombed in rooms mined from an ancient salt formation more than 2,000 feet underground. Image credit: US Department of Energy
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has selected a subsidiary of US engineering and construction firm Bechtel to operate an underground nuclear waste disposal facility in New Mexico.
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The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is located in Carlsbad and is set to replace the contract held by the Nuclear Waste Partnership, which expires in September.
To this end, the federal government is bringing in Tularosa Basin Range Services (TBRS), an entity that contains Bechtel subsidiary Bechtel National, to handle the everyday operations, working alongside Los Alamos Technical Associates.
Projections estimate the project could cost as much as $3 billion over 10 years.
"The mission to safely dispose of defence-related nuclear waste is vitally important for protecting people and the planet," said Dena Volovar, Bechtel National executive vice president.
"We're honoured to be entrusted with this mission and look forward to joining the WIPP team and the Carlsbad community".
The WIPP is a series of underground tunnels mined out of an ancient salt bed located more than 2,000 feet underground. It has been in operation since 1999 and stores and disposes of waste from 22 government nuclear facilities from across the US.
The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements - all collated since the 1940s as part of the nation's nuclear defence programme.
Bechtel National has been helping clean up DoE sites for more than 44 years, including sites in South Carolina, Washington state, Idaho and Nevada.
Its expertise is valuable as the firm specialises in mine management, which makes it a good candidate for ensuring the integrity of underground caverns.
The firm also has significant experience in the nuclear sector, recently having partnered with 12 Polish firms to build several nuclear power plants in the country, as part of a tightening diplomatic relationship.
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Being more than 2,000 feet underground, it is very unlikely that nuclear waste will be able to penetrate the surface.
Simply burying nuclear waste is currently considered to be among the least hazardous ways to deal with nuclear waste. Should nuclear fusion become a mainstream technology, dealing with waste will become a major issue.
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