Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Site 101 Video
Office of Environmental Management
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is the nation’s only repository for the disposal of transuranic waste generated by atomic energy defense activities. WIPP is located 33 miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in the Chihuahuan Desert, far from major population centers. Waste is disposed of in a set of panels located nearly one-half mile below the surface in a deep geologic salt bed formed 250 million years ago. The facility began operation in 1999 and celebrated 20 years of operations in 2019. To date, WIPP has received approximately 13,000 shipments that were safely transported more than 15 million cumulative miles. Watch the video above to learn more about the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Field Manager
Reinhard Knerr, Carlsbad Field Office Manager
Useful Links
Budget
| FY21 Enacted (In the millions) |
FY22 Requested (In the millions) |
| $420 | $437 |
Another shipment of Transuranic (TRU) waste arrives safely at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
WIPP News
VIEW ALL
EM’s WIPP laboratories were recently notified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that their latest round of sample testing data meets stringent criteria established to operate under the DOE Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP).
January 18, 2022
Learn More
EM’s Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) recently awarded the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) prime contractor nearly $10.9 million, or 67% of the available fee for the fiscal 2021 performance evaluation period, which ended Sept. 30.
January 11, 2022
Learn More
The Office of Environmental Management leveraged the results of years of successful work in 2021 to launch a new era for the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup mission, all while continuing to manage the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 30, 2021
Learn More
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) recently received its 13,000th shipment of transuranic (TRU) waste, marking an important landmark in EM’s mission to clean up the country’s Cold War legacy.
November 23, 2021
Learn More