Informal Virtual Public Meeting on WIPP Recertification: Slides and Documents

Slides and Summary of Key Issues

Below you will find the slides presented by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), related to the WIPP 2019 Compliance Recertification Application (CRA).  There is also a summary of key issues in reviewing the CRA.

Summary of Changes to Performance Assessment for the 2019 WIPP Compliance Recertification Application (pdf) (1.64 MB, August 17, 2021)
This document is a summary of changes to the performance assessment calculations in the US Department of Energy’s 2019 WIPP Compliance Recertification Application. It was presented by Sarah Brunell of Sandia National Laboratories at the EPA’s Informal Virtual Public Meeting via Zoom, held on August 17, 2021.

WIPP Compliance Recertification Application: Virtual Public Meeting (pdf) (1.05 MB, August 17, 2021)
This document is the introductory presentation given at the EPA’s Informal Virtual Public Meeting via Zoom, held on August 17, 2021. It contains the meeting agenda and ground rules, as well as a summary of key issues identified by the agency in reviewing the US Department of Energy’s 2019 WIPP Compliance Recertification Application. It was presented by Ray Lee, Tom Peake, and Jay Santillian.

EPA WIPP Virtual Public Meeting: April 2021 Letter from EPA to DOE on Future Expectations (pdf) (753.06 KB, August 17, 2021)
This document is the second presentation given at the EPA’s Informal Virtual Public Meeting via Zoom, held on August 17, 2021. It contains the ground rules for the second portion of the meeting, which covered general (non-recertification-related) WIPP issues. A focus was given on the agency’s April 2021 letter to DOE, which contained comments on a number of future WIPP issues. It was presented by Tom Peake.

EPA Letter on WIPP Issues and DOE Response

As discussed with the public at the meeting, the EPA has posted the agency’s April 20, 2021 letter detailing future expectations on a number of WIPP issues, as well as the DOE’s August 12, 2021 response.

EPA Letter/L. Veal to DOE/R. Knerr Regarding Future Expectations on WIPP Issues (pdf) (270.82 KB, April 20, 2021)
This correspondence was sent from the EPA to the DOE on April 20, 2021. It contains comments, expectations and recommendations from the agency to the DOE on a number of future WIPP issues, including potential new waste panels, repository design, surplus plutonium and site characterization.

DOE Letter/R. Knerr to EPA/L. Veal Responding to April 20, 2021 Correspondence (pdf) (163.01 KB, August 12, 2021)
This letter was sent from the DOE to the EPA on August 12, 2021. It contains the department’s responses to the future WIPP issues raised by EPA in its April 20, 2021 correspondence.