The mission of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site is to provide permanent, underground disposal of TRU and TRU-mixed wastes (wastes that also have hazardous chemical components). TRU waste consists of clothing, tools, and debris left from the research and production of nuclear weapons. TRU waste is contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other TRU radioactive elements. Over the next 35 years, WIPP is expected to receive approximately 175,000 cubic meters of waste from various DOE sites.
Enforcement
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Unplanned doses to a small number of workers at Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC.October 30, 2026
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Classified Information Security Violations at Nevada National Security Sites’ Special Technologies LaboratoryOctober 23, 2026 -
Thumb Amputation at the Savannah River SiteAugust 31, 2026 -
Worker Injury Involving a Telehandler Truss Boom at the Translational Research Facility at Oak Ridge National LaboratoryAugust 28, 2026
Safety Oversight Reports
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Independent Assessment of Conduct of Operations at the Idaho Cleanup Project Radioactive Waste Management ComplexOctober 21, 2026 -
Independent Assessment of the Fire Protection Program at the Paducah SiteOctober 21, 2026
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Lessons Learned from Assessments of Emergency Management Programs at U.S. Department of Energy Sites During Fiscal Year 2026October 21, 2026 -
Independent Assessment of the Nuclear Maintenance Management Program at Hanford Site Tank Waste FacilitiesAugust 6, 2026
Security and Cybersecurity Oversight Reports
Independent Multi-Topic Assessment of Safeguards and Security at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 22, 2021
Office of Enterprise Assessments Limited-Scope Assessment of Protective Force Management and Capabilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, May 3-5, 2016
Independent Oversight Special Review of the Security of Classified Parts Shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 2005