The Department of Energy is on track to start operation of a major new underground ventilation system for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico in 2026, managers for DOE and the disposal site contractor said last week.
Construction and integrated system testing is complete for the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). That was the message from Mark Bollinger, DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager, and Ken Harrawood, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors president and program manager, at a joint presentation in Las Vegas, N.M.
The Operational readiness phase underway for the ventilation system is underway and WIPP is training operators to run the facility, the WIPP managers said. The 2026 timeline is consistent with what DOE said in 2022 for the $500-million project.
The new ventilation system should triple WIPP’s underground airflow to 540-,000 cubic feet per minute, according to the presentation. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has raised questions about the air monitoring system for the SSCVS.
