The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) recently held its annual full-scale exercise to demonstrate employees’ overall capability to recognize, respond to, and mitigate any emergency situation that might occur at the WIPP.
More than 100 external evaluators assessed the performance of WIPP Safety Management Programs June 22 at the day-long exercise, which included a simulated underground fire and radiological release. Participants were evaluated on their ability to follow and implement plans and procedures, and their overall response to simulated events.
Post-exercise critiques identified activities that went well and areas with opportunities for improvement.
The exercise required the activation of the WIPP Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC), and included involvement of the WIPP’s emergency responders in the field and various offsite agencies, allowing these organizations an opportunity to work together on a coordinated response.
Participating organizations included the DOE Headquarters Emergency Management Team, National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, DOE Region IV Radiological Assistance Program Team (support request), New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management State EOC, Mine Safety and Health Administration, New Mexico State Mine EOC, Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority, Eddy County EOC and Office of Emergency Management, Lea County EOC and Office of Emergency Management, Carlsbad Fire Department, and Carlsbad Medical Center.
Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Emergency Preparedness provided support for the Joint Information Center, including simulated media interest.
Many significant improvements have been made to the Emergency Response Organization to ensure the WIPP will be able to safely resume waste emplacement operations later this year. Improvements include the new, state-of-the art EOC facility in Carlsbad, which was utilized during this exercise. An official After Action Report will be developed in the next few weeks that will highlight the strengths and areas for improvement in the WIPP response, as observed during the exercise, and recommend corrective actions for additional improvements.
The City of Carlsbad and the DOE’s next town hall meeting to provide updates on WIPP restart activities will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, in Council Chambers at Carlsbad City Hall, 101 N. Halagueno St. These meetings are streamed live online at new.livestream.com/rrv.
