Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Finishes Annual Maintenance Ahead of Schedule

Crews complete 162 corrective and preventive maintenance projects

CARLSBAD, N.M. - Workers at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management's (EM) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) completed a lengthy checklist of projects ahead of schedule during the facility's recent annual maintenance period.

"The annual maintenance period showcased the skills of our employees and demonstrated how efficiently maintenance can be done when it is well planned," said Ken Harrawood, president and program manager of Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO), the contractor that operates WIPP for EM.

Because the maintenance was so well planned in the summer of 2023, it allowed time for crews to meticulously pivot to unplanned, unexpected projects, like a multi-day challenge of changing a 10,600-pound wire rope on the waste hoist.

"The planning and teamwork of maintenance, and the various site support groups was amazing," said SIMCO Manager Kenny Walker. "They did an excellent job, completing critical projects in a safe and timely manner."

The annual maintenance period, Feb. 5 through March 31, originally included 150 corrective and preventive maintenance projects that normally interrupt WIPP operations because they take multiple days to complete, or are in critical areas that would pause or stop other operations. Twelve projects were added due to the staff's proficiency for a total 162 projects completed.

WIPP coordinated with EM and National Nuclear Security Administration sites across the nation in advance as new shipments of defense-generated transuranic waste for disposal at WIPP were put on hold during the maintenance period.

The largest projects completed include:

• Salt rock was mined in the WIPP underground to create a dedicated exhaust air route for future waste emplacement panels.
• At the bottom of the hoist used for lowering waste into the underground, steel framework was supported and the salt rock underneath the structure, rails and associated mechanisms were all releveled.
• The contact-handled waste bay area, where transuranic waste payloads are downloaded into the mine, underwent maintenance on four overhead cranes, ventilation fans and the four docks used for waste processing.
• The large contact-handled waste bay area floor received a new coating.

-Contributor: Roy Neese

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