Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) pushed for daily updates from the Department of Energy on the situation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant at a town hall meeting he hosted Friday in Carlsbad, N.M., the day after the Department of Energy held a similar public meeting there. Pearce said he held the meeting to ensure transparency, and on Friday DOE and contractor officials answered in detail questions from area residents about the Feb. 5 fire and Feb. 14 radiation release at WIPP. “The discussion here was fairly transparent and was fairly straightforward. I told them beforehand that’s the way it’s going to look, that’s the way it’s going to sound for an hour and a half, and I expect you to do it every single day. If I have to do it myself, I will do that,” Pearce told WC Monitor following the town hall. “The trust is the key, the trust from the community. Once the trust is gone, then you can’t replace it.”
At a separate DOE-led meeting on Thursday, some state and local officials expressed concern about a lack of communication from the Department in the wake of the WIPP events. Pearce said he has discussed those issues with DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz. “The problem appears to be that they are trying not to get legal liability for saying anything that proves to be later a little different. Then also you’ve got a bureaucracy that says I am the one who answers that. I was very explicit to the Secretary a week ago that you are going to start doing this,” Pearce said, adding: “Have we turned the corner? I can’t answer that yet. I’ve told them that I felt that the meeting last night was klutzy, looking at the transcript, that it could be handled better. I expected it to be, and expect them to start doing daily releases.”
The Department has pledged more frequent updates following last week’s meetings, releasing additional information over the weekend on recovery efforts. "News releases will continue to be issued as appropriate. In addition, there will be town hall meetings, and DOE Carlsbad Manager Joe Franco will issue frequent letters to local citizens. We are committed to updating our web site regularly," states a note accompanying a DOE release this weekend.
