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“Lack of ground control during WIPP’s recovery from incidents in 2014 led to concerns regarding mine stability in this area, reinforced by several rocks falls over several years,” said WIPP spokesman Donavan Mager. “DOE made a decision in late 2016 to close the south end to reduce potential worker risks.”

For better efficiency in sealing off the area, which includes six filled waste disposal panels and supporting access areas, the Department of Energy, which owns WIPP, and Nuclear Waste Partnership, which oversees the facility’s operations, proposed a permit modification through the New Mexico Environment Department to redefine how panels are permanently closed.

A public notice on the proposed modification was issued Friday by NMED, opening a 60-day public comment period until April 23.

The DOE and NWP first submitted a revised modification request to NMED on Nov. 10, 2016, records show, which included adjustments to WIPP’s Panel Closure Plan.

“This permit modification will allow DOE to deliberately and safely withdraw and seal the south end of WIPP,” Mager said. “The change greatly simplifies the process of closing these areas, isolating them from personnel access and eliminating the need for ongoing maintenance, ventilation and ground control.

“The goal is to redefine what has to be done in order to permanently close filled waste disposal areas.”

Originally, WIPP’s permit to seal the panels required the use of 12-foot-thick concrete walls to block off each panel, with a larger structure to prevent any additional airflow or ground movement.

Mager said recent testing indicated the walls were not needed for future closures, and that mined salt could be reused in the disposal process.

The decision to propose altering the process arose from testing at WIPP as to the accumulation of hydrogen and methane gases in a filled disposal panel………http://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2018/03/01/how-south-end-wipp-sealed/383005002/