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Nuclear Waste: Storage Issues at DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

RCED-90-1 Published: Dec 08, 1989. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 1990.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) 5-year program for demonstrating its Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's (WIPP) capacity for safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes produced by DOE atomic energy defense activities.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter Status Comments
If DOE adopts the GAO recommendations, Congress should consider the material that DOE provides in deciding on the future of WIPP. If DOE does not accept the recommendations, Congress may wish to require DOE to provide it with such material.
Closed – Implemented
Congress passed land withdrawal legislation for the WIPP facility.
Congress may wish to include a provision in land withdrawal legislation that would specify the amount of TRU wastes DOE can store in WIPP before determining that the facility complies with EPA disposal standards.
Closed – Implemented
Congress passed land withdrawal legislation for the WIPP facility.
Congress may wish to make permanent land withdrawal conditional upon a positive determination of compliance.
Closed – Implemented
Congress passed land withdrawal legislation for the WIPP facility.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy To ensure that Congress has relevant information to decide on the DOE request for authority to store TRU wastes in WIPP for demonstration purposes, the Secretary of Energy should analyze and report to Congress on the technical justification for storing TRU wastes in WIPP, and the quantity of such wastes, in advance of determining if the facility can be used as a repository.
Closed – Implemented
The agency agreed with this recommendation. It added that its final test plan of April 1990 reflects the fact that external reviewers generally supported tests with limited amounts of waste at WIPP. The justification for storing TRU waste in WIPP contained in the plan is consistent with external review comments.
Department of Energy To ensure that Congress has relevant information to decide on the DOE request for authority to store TRU wastes in WIPP for demonstration purposes, the Secretary of Energy should analyze and report to Congress on contingency plans for the disposition of any TRU waste stored in WIPP in the event that DOE eventually determines that the facility, as currently designed, does not meet EPA disposal standards.
Closed – Not Implemented
In late 1992, Congress passed land withdrawal legislation. A provision requiring DOE to develop specific contingency plans for disposition of TRU waste in the event that WIPP does not meet EPA disposal standards was included.
Department of Energy To ensure that Congress has relevant information to decide on the DOE request for authority to store TRU wastes in WIPP for demonstration purposes, the Secretary of Energy should analyze and report to Congress on options for continued temporary storage of TRU waste at other DOE defense facilities while DOE is completing its assessment of WIPP compliance with EPA standards.
Closed – Not Implemented
Congress passed relevant land withdrawal legislation.

Full Report

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Topics

Atomic energy defense activitiesEnvironmental monitoringstate relationsNuclear facility safetyNuclear waste disposalNuclear waste managementNuclear waste storageSafety regulationSafety standardsTanks (containers)