Two mine rescue teams with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant won first and third place in the recent 41st Southeastern Regional Mine Rescue Competition. July 14, 2026
Office of Environmental Management
July 14, 2026
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Waste Isolation Pilot Plant team members who competed in the 41st Southeastern Regional Mine Rescue Competition are pictured with their awards.
CARLSBAD, N.M. — Two mine rescue teams with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) won first and third place in the recent 41st Southeastern Regional Mine Rescue Competition.
One WIPP team member, Mark Long with management and operations contractor Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO), also won the award for top trainer.
The teams’ performance in the competition supports the continued commitment by mine rescue individuals to ensure emergency preparedness capabilities at the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) WIPP facility, an underground repository for defense-generated transuranic nuclear waste.
Five teams took part in the contest — two from WIPP and three from local mining companies. Judges included Tony Chapman, a mine safety specialist with EM’s Carlsbad Field Office, which oversees WIPP, and personnel from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Mark Long, left, with Waste Isolation Pilot Plant management and operations contractor Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, won the award for top trainer at the 41st Southeastern Regional Mine Rescue Competition. He is pictured with Barry Clark with the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The competition featured five events to evaluate mine rescue skills. They involved troubleshooting electronic gas detectors and breathing apparatuses; administering first aid; repairing breathing units; responding to a simulated underground mine disaster; and completing written examinations.
Employees serve on the teams as volunteers. They are composed of hoisting supervisors, mechanics, waste handlers, mining operators and other occupations. Teams practice and prepare for the day they are called to an emergency. They participate in several competitions each year to sharpen their skills, share lessons learned and continually raise the level of mine safety.
WIPP is set to take part in the 2026 National Mine Rescue Competition in Sevierville, Tennessee, in August.
-Contributor: Valerie Gohlke
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