RE-ENGINEERING THE PIPELINE: A TRU WASTE SITE INITIATIVE TO OPTIMIZEWIPP SHIPMENTS

摘要

After opening the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for the permanent disposal of transuranic (TRU)waste on March 26, 1999, the Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and DOEHeadquarters launched a major initiative to assess and recommend modifications to the nationaltransuranic waste system. The purpose of these recommendations was to identify ways to address theWIPP’s prescriptive regulatory framework and to accommodate the transuranic waste generator sites'many needs and requirements.Three teams, composed of representatives of all the transuranic waste generator sites, focused on issuesrelated to characterization, transportation, and disposal. In addition, an executive team of DOErepresentatives from each of the sites developed broad recommendations that crossed several areas andwere more general in scope.Although the CBFO initiated and supported the re-engineering initiative, the sites led the effort, elicitingideas and recommendations from the individuals responsible for managing, characterizing, certifying, andpackaging TRU waste for shipment.This paper presents the technical recommendations and implementation status of these far-reachingrecommendations.