Work has resumed in two areas of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository mine that had been on hold due to air quality safety concerns, the plant's operator said.
The work stoppage – called a “safety pause” – began Feb. 22 at the underground facility outside of Carlsbad. But the troubles began two years ago, in February 2014, when radiation leaked from an improperly packed drum of waste from the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), which operates the facility under contract from the U.S. Department of Energy, reported that work had resumed Friday. The NWP is an AECOM-led group with partner B&W Technical Services and major subcontractor AREVA Federal Services.
Since the incident two years ago, airflow has been limited at the site. Workers prior to the safety pause had been installing a temporary ventilation system that was expected to allow the facility to re-open before the end of the year.
The work stoppage in February was due to concerns of a buildup of carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful organic compounds.
“We used the safety pause to improve our detection and measurement procedures; increase worker training and awareness of potential air quality issues; and develop procedures that help us recognize and respond to potential air quality issues before they become a problem, “ NWP President Phil Breidenbach said in a news release.
For the storage site 2,000 feet underground, airflow is critical. After the leak in 2014, an filtration system was activated that restricted airflow from 425,000 cubic feet per minute to about 60,000 cubic feet per minute, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The temporary system is expected to increase airflow from 60,000 cubic feet per minute to 114,000 cubic feet per minute.