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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Nuclear safety deficiencies that occurred between 2019 and 2022 revealed multiple violations of DOE nuclear safety requirements by Mid-America Conversion Services, LLC at Portsmouth Paducah Project Office.January 20, 2026 -
Electrical Shock Event at the Brookhaven National LaboratoryJanuary 16, 2026 -
Unauthorized access of a high radiation area at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.December 19, 2025
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Thumb Amputation at Savannah River SiteNovember 21, 2025
Safety Oversight Reports
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Independent Assessment of Work Planning and Control at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bayou Choctaw SiteFebruary 5, 2026 -
Independent Assessment of the Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Management 2025 Annual ExerciseJanuary 20, 2026 -
Independent Assessment of Training and Qualification Programs for Nuclear Facility Personnel at the Hanford SiteJanuary 20, 2026 -
Independent Assessment of the 2025 Full-scale Emergency Management Exercise at the Savannah River SiteJanuary 20, 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