WIPP celebrates 25 years of operations Levi Hill/News-Sun Today the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in eastern Eddy County — about 40 miles west of Hobbs — stands as an edifice to sound science, collaboration and cooperation, but 43 years ago when Arthur Moss walked out onto what would become WIPP, all that stood in that lonely patch of desert was …

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Management of the U.S. government’s only underground nuclear waste repository will be taken over later this year by a company created by one of the largest engineering, construction and project management firms in the world. The U.S. Energy Department announced Monday that the new contract with the Bechtel company to …

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government’s nuclear waste repository in New Mexico has major issues in fire training and firefighting vehicles, with its fleet in disrepair after years of neglect, according to an investigation by the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General. The investigation was spurred by allegations regarding fire protection concerns …

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government’s nuclear waste repository in New Mexico has major issues in fire training and firefighting vehicles, with its fleet in disrepair after years of neglect, according to an investigation by the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General. The investigation was spurred by allegations regarding fire protection concerns …

New Mexico nuke repository studied for plutonium storage CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy has commissioned a national group of scientists to study the viability of diluting surplus weapons-grade plutonium and storing it permanently at the federal government’s underground repository in New Mexico. The panel of about 15 scientists from universities, corporations and laboratories around the nation …

Mining to resume at WIPP for 1st time since leak ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officials at the nation’s only underground nuclear waste repository are flipping the switch on an interim ventilation system this week, allowing mining to resume for the first time since a 2014 radiation release contaminated part of the facility. Still, they caution it will take a few …