nuclear-news

In a report released Friday, Energy Department investigators faulted employees at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, near Carlsbad, for failing to maintain equipment and failing to correct procedures regulators have faulted before — issues that became apparent when a truck caught fire Feb. 5 followed by a radiation leak Feb. 14……..

WIPP’s continued closure could create a backup of defense nuclear waste. A federal treatment plant in Idaho and a laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area both send their waste to the 2,150-foot-deep repository.

Steve Pearce, a Republican congressman who represents the New Mexico district that houses WIPP, said he expected the plant to address the shortcomings pointed out in the report.

“This transparent report highlights the sloppy procedures that caused the fire,” Pearce said in a statement. “New Mexicans expect and deserve to know the full truth. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but it must never happen again.” http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-nuclear-safety-new-mexico-20140315,0,3056041.story