RECERTIFICATION DECISION
2006 EPA WIPP FACT SHEET No.1
The WIPP Site
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is the world's
only permanent disposal site for transuranic (TRU) radio-
active waste created during the research and production of
nuclear weapons. The WIPP site is located 26 miles east
of Carlsbad, New Mexico, where TRU waste is entombed
in a 2,000 foot thick layer of natural salt 2,150 feet below
the surface.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) currently estimates
that 145,000 cubic meters of TRU wastes from DOE sites
across the country will ultimately be disposed of at WIPP.
The WIPP capacity is 175,570 cubic meters.
Carlsbad Caverns
National Park
Recertification Facts
On March 29, 2006, EPA recertified that the DOE's WIPP
facility continues to comply with EPA's radioactive waste
disposal regulations (40 CFR 191) and WIPP Compliance
Criteria (40 CFR 194). As directed by Congress in the
WIPP Land Withdrawal Act, EPA will conduct a recertifica-
tion every five years until the closure of the WIPP facility.
• The recertification process is not a reconsideration of
the decision to open WIPP, but a process to confirm
that the WIPP continues to meet all requirements of
EPA's disposal regulations.
• The recertification process ensures that WIPP's con-
tinued compliance is demonstrated using the most
accurate, up-to-date information available.
The WIPP repository will limit radionuclide releases to the
accessible environment and therefore protect people and
the environment from exposure to these wastes for at least
10,000 years.
EPA's Role at WIPP
While the WIPP facility is managed by DOE, EPA has
responsibility for ensuring that the facility complies with
EPA's radioactive waste disposal regulations.
EPA's Recertification Process
United States Environmental Protection Agency I Office of Air and Radiation (6608J) I EPA402-F-06-006
www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp
March 2006
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Waste Isolation
Pilot Plant
U.S. Department of Energy Facility
Designed for permanent disposal
of transuranic radioactive waste
This diagram shows underground orientation of the WIPP repository 2,150 feet beneath the surface.
One way that EPA ensures WIPP facility compliance with its waste disposal regulations is by
reviewing the recertification application that Congress requires DOE to submit every five years.
After submission of the application, EPA first determines if the application contains all the
necessary information, and requests additional information if necessary (called a completeness
review). Next EPA performs an in-depth technical review of the application.
EPA received DOE's first recertification application in March 2004. Following several requests
for additional information, EPA determined that the recertification application was complete in
September 2005. The WIPP Land Withdrawal Act requires EPA to make a recertification deci-
sion within 6 months of receiving a complete application. EPA recertified WIPP in March 2006.
DOE's 2004 recertification application and any additional information submitted by DOE can
be obtained from the EPA WIPP website or docket. EPA's recertification decision and supporting
technical evaluations can also be obtained from EPA's WIPP website and docket.
United States Environmental Protection Agency I Office of Air and Radiation (6608J) I EPA402-F-06-006 I March 2006
www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp
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Waste Regulations
At the WIPP, the specific release limits are based on the
amount of waste in the repository at the time of dis-
posal. While these limits allow for the release of small
amounts of radioactive material into the environment,
the potential releases do not pose a threat to human
health and the environment. Regulations regarding the
release of radioactive material, called radionuclides,
can be found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regula-
tions, Part 191. These regulations dictate that releases
of radionuclides to the accessible environment must
be unlikely to exceed specific limits for 10,000 years
after disposal. A radionuclide is an unstable form of an
element, with the capability to emit radiation through
spontaneous transformation to a more stable form.
For more general information on radiation please see
the EPA's "Understanding Radiation" website at: www.
epa.gov/radiation/understand/index.html
Trans
ransuranic (TRU) Waste
"Transuranic" literally means "beyond uranium." Trans-
uranic waste is a specific type of radioactive waste that
includes elements that are heavier than the element ura-
nium. These elements, including plutonium, americium,
curium, and neptunium are created during the produc-
tion of nuclear weapons. Transuranic waste can include
not only the transuranic elements themselves, but also
contaminated soils, and items such as gloves, tools, and
protective clothing used to handle TRU waste.
While TRU waste is identified primarily by the presence of
transuranic elements and how the waste has been man-
aged, it is further defined by concentration. Radioactive
material is measured in curies. TRU waste has a concen-
tration of over 100 nanocuries (or one hundred millionth
of a curie) per gram. Waste with a concentration of under
100 nanocuries per gram is classified as low-level radio-
active waste, even if it contains transuranic elements.
All fact sheets can be found on EPA's WIPP web site at
www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp.
Additional information about WIPP can also be found at
DOE's web site at www.wipp.ws.
How to Find Out More About EPA Activities at WIPP
EPA has prepared a series of fact sheets to provide informa-
tion on the WIPP. All documents listed here are available
on EPA's WIPP website.
Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet # 1 - Recertification Decision. Provides
general information on the recertification process.
Fact Sheet # 2 - Public Information and Input on
WIPP. Provides information on how the public
can learn about WIPP, stay up to date on current
topics, and provide input to the EPA on WIPP
related issues.
Fact Sheet # 3 - Changes in the Recertification
Assessment. Provides information on the updated
Performance Assessment (PA) conducted for the
2004 recertification application. The PA is an
assessment of the likelihood that the WIPP will
meet release limit requirements. EPA required
DOE to conduct a PA as part of the original
certification application, and a new PA for the
2004 recertification application. This fact sheet
also includes information on human intrusion.
Fact Sheet # 4 - TRU Waste Inventory. Summarizes
the Waste Inventory quantities, locations,
and waste material parameters for TRU waste
currently stored at DOE sites across the country.
Fact Sheet # 5 - Groundwater. Provides information
on how DOE monitors the flow of groundwater on
and around the WIPP site to better understand
the potential pathways for releases of radioactive
material.
Fact Sheet # 6 - Karst. Provides information on
EPA's response to stakeholder concerns about
the presence of karst at the WIPP site. Karst is a
geologic feature resulting from the dissolution of
rocks, creating sinkholes and large voids.
Fact Sheets in this Series:
Recertification
Fact Sheet No. 1
Public Involvement Fact Sheet No. 2
Performance Assessment Fact Sheet No. 3
TRU Waste Inventory Fact Sheet No. 4
Groundwater Fact Sheet No. 5
Karst Fact Sheet No. 6
United States Environmental Protection Agency I Office of Air and Radiation (6608J) I EPA402-F-06-006 I March 2006
www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp
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