U.S. seeks bids to manage WIPP nuclear waste dump
ALBUQUERQUE — The U.S. Energy Department is seeking bids to manage the federal government’s only underground nuclear waste repository amid efforts to rebound from a pandemic-related slowdown and as work continues to replace the facility’s ventilation system following a 2014 radiation release that forced a nearly three-year closure.
The agency issued its final request for proposals for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on Wednesday. The four-year contract to manage the southeastern New Mexico facility is worth about $3 billion and includes six one-year extension options. The contract with Nuclear Waste Partnership is set to expire in April. The company plans to bid again.
The repository is central to the federal government’s multibillion-dollar program for cleaning up Cold War-era waste left over at sites around the country that were involved in bomb making and nuclear research.
State environmental regulators recently concluded a virtual public meeting on proposed permit changes that watchdog groups have said could open the door to expanded operations at the repository. It will be months before a final decision is made.
Read more: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/ap/u-s-seeks-bids-to-manage-wipp-nuclear-waste-dump/article_5f8a5d92-6bd9-5be3-9fa5-2a4ed62a8256.html