WIPP still has 10 DOE review items to tackle

During a final review of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant last month, the Department of Energy team identified 36 findings that required correction at the facility.

Of those, 15 were deemed to be "post-start" findings, meaning they could be addressed after operations resumed at the underground nuclear waste repository.

The other 21 findings that were deemed "pre-start" or dealing with worker safety were resolved before WIPP restarted operations.

Since reopening earlier this month, five of the post-start findings have been corrected at the WIPP site.

"Corrective action plans have been developed for each of the post-start findings and most of the plans are expected to be implemented, validated and closed within the first couple of months of 2017," said a Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office spokesperson.

The findings were identified during the Department of Energy's Operational Readiness Review that was completed in December 2016.

The post-start findings covered a variety of operations at WIPP, including engineering, management, maintenance, training and operations.

Ed Westbrook, who led the review team, said at the December Town Hall meeting that most of the findings, both pre-start and post-start, were isolated issues.

"None of these are programmatic," he said. "In the grand scheme of things, it's not a trend. It's not indicative of a bigger problem."

Pre-start findings are issues that could affect worker safety, Westbrook said.

The Carlsbad Field Office spokesperson said they are working to obtain more spare parts for the interim and underground ventilation systems, provide training to certain employees and hire additional qualified personnel, all of which were highlighted by the review team.

Six of the post-start findings were found to pertain to the Department of Energy and its Carlsbad Field Office.

Many of those were of an administrative nature, involving the processes involved in tracking identified issues at the facility.

Westbrook said his team also found that Department of Energy headquarters had not closed out all Judgments of Need identified after the radiological incident and underground fire that closed the facility for nearly three years.

The Carlsbad Field Office spokesperson said there are no deadlines associated with closing out the post-start findings.

"Although there is no predetermined time limit on closure of post-start findings, CBFO and NWP (Nuclear Waste Partnership) are working expeditiously to close these items as soon as possible," they said.

Maddy Hayden may be reached at 575-628-5512, mahayden@currentargus.com and @Maddy_J_Hayden on Twitter.