DOE Renews Western Governors’ Association Cooperative Agreement

Carlsbad, NM - The Department of Energy ‘s Carlsbad Field Office today renewed the cooperative agreement with the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) by extending the project period five years to June 30, 2021. The five-year renewal is estimated at $9M. Through the cooperative agreement, the DOE and WGA work together to coordinate shipment routes and provide training to safety officials for transportation of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The cooperative agreement supports the WIPP Transportation Safety Program.

Transuranic (TRU) waste is radioactive waste that contains materials of alpha-emitting elements heavier than Uranium.

The WGA WIPP Transportation Technical Advisory Group includes state officials from California, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. WGA serves as the primary point of contact to DOE on the shipment of TRU waste to WIPP and inter-site transfers between DOE generator sites.

WGA participating states are responsible for:

 Independent inspection of drivers, vehicles and packages

 Bad weather and road conditions reporting

 Establishment of safe parking areas and procedures

 Advance notice of WIPP shipments

 Medical emergency response preparedness and training

 Preparation of emergency response plans and procedures

- DOE -