An analysis of the WIPP waste handling demonstrations

This paper discusses how, as part of a startup program to ensure safe and efficient handling of transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a succession of waste handling demonstrations have occurred. To quantify system performance, operator proficiency and projected radiation dose to workers, WIPP conducted four major waste handling preoperational demonstration checkouts (two each for contact-handled (CH) waste and remote-handled (RH) waste). These preoperational demonstrations began with underground CH and RH mock retrievability demonstrations performed for the state of New Mexico to verify WIPP's ability to safely retrieve waste. Additionally, these demonstrations assessed waste handling equipment, processes, procedures, and personnel capabilities. Following these underground retrievability demonstrations, WIPP performed complete end-to-end CH and RH preoperational checkouts (also witnessed by the state of New Mexico). These integrated checkouts not only validated system operation and personnel qualifications, but, using numerous video tapes of the checkout as time elapsed references, also allowed accurate worker radiation dose projections to be made