Transporting transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Risk and cost211 perspectives

摘要

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is an authorized US Department of Energy211u001e(DOE) research and development facility constructed near the city of Carlsbad in 211u001esoutheastern New Mexico. The facility is intended to demonstrate the safe 211u001edisposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste resulting from US defense 211u001eactivities. Under the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992 (LWA), federal lands 211u001esurrounding the WIPP facility were withdrawn from all public use and the title of 211u001ethose lands was transferred to the Secretary of Energy. The DOE's TRU waste is 211u001estored, and in some cases is still being generated, at 10 large-quantity and 13 211u001esmall-quantity sites across the US. After applicable certification requirements 211u001ehave been met, the TRU waste at these sites will be sent to the WIPP to initiate 211u001ethe disposal phase of the facility, which according to current planning is 211u001eprojected to last for approximately 35 years.