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WIPP Update New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers June 11, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
WIPP Update New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers June 11, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
WIPP Update New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers June 11, 2017 Albuquerque, NM www.energy.gov/EM 1 WIPP Configuration 2 www.energy.gov/EM 2 WI WIPP PP Bac ackground ound Facility mined in salt: 2,150 feet deep in ancient
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www.energy.gov/EM 3
Facility mined in salt:
2,150 feet deep in ancient salt formation that closes in and entombs waste forever
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WI WIPP PP Bac ackground
- und
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WIPP Underground Map
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WIPP Routes
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Types of Shipments Anticipated
TRUPACT-III HalfPACT TRUPACT-II RH-72B
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- Prior to 2014: 11,897 shipments from 22 sites around the
country
- Shipments made 1999 through 2014
- Waste receipt and emplacement suspended in February
2014 due to two events:
- Fire on underground vehicle
- Thermal event in an emplaced drum
WIPP Status
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Timeline
- Events occurred in February 2014
- Approximately nine months needed to return to
limited underground operations
- Original re-start date set for March 2016
- New re-start date December 2016
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Manage the Message
- Baseline was approved and publicly released in
late January 2016
- What completion date should be discussed
internally?
- What completion date should be discussed
externally?
- When schedule slip occurs, how should it be
communicated?
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Air Quality in the Underground
- VOC are a common off-gas from the disposed waste
- Due to diffusion through porous salt, VOC’s can occur in
- ccupied areas even though waste is behind sealed bulkheads
- Carbon Monoxide is a combustion product from underground
diesel equipment
- Low underground ventilation rates can lead to build-up of air
contaminates in work areas
- In March, 2016 timeframe, multiple incidents illustrated needed
improvements in worksite air monitoring program
- Alarm set points re-set based on recommendations from IH
workshop and regulations
- Number of alarms in worksites began increasing
- What path forwarded should be initiated to keep work going?
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Schedule and Budget Concerns
- Mounting schedule concerns led to a series of
meetings with headquarters over the summer to discuss path forward
- Congressional and stakeholder concern over
schedule was mitigated by increasing the interactions with these groups
- Tension existed between raising expectations and
need for transparency
- How would you incentivize completion?
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www.energy.gov/EM 12
Interim Ventilation System
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Interim Ventilation System
- Contractor performed a Contractor Readiness
Assessment
- CBFO performed a Line Management Review in
parallel
- CBFO determined Contractor Readiness Review
was ineffective and recommends repeating it
- IVS will double underground air flow
- Should the RA be repeated?
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Ground Control
- Ground control is biggest risk mitigation for
underground work
- Ground will heave on floor, scale on ribs, and fall
- n back
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Ground Control
- A series of rock falls occurred in prohibited areas
beginning in September 2016
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Ground Control
- Operations limited by lack of airflow
- At most four bolters available
- At the time, worker safety concerns were
increasing
- MSHA recommending more areas should be
prohibited
- What path should be taken to allow work to
continue?
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Readiness Activities
- MSA performed in September, 2016 – Six pre-start
findings
- Contractor ORR performed in October, 2016 –
Seven pre-starts and five post-start findings
- Calendar indicates DOE ORR can start in mid-
November
- CBFO Line Management has concerns with
proceeding with the DOE ORR
- Should DOE ORR be performed and when?
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Authorization to Proceed
- ORR completed the first week of December
- 21 pre-start findings from DOE ORR
- DOE ORR team recommended team member
concur on CAP and validation packages
- Completion of all pre-start actions on December
22, 2016
- When should authorization be given?
- When should first emplacement be performed?
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WIPP Re-Opening
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- Significant changes to site safety management programs
- Extensive readiness activities performed in 2016
- DOE/State of NM authorized operations in December 2016
- First emplacement in early January 2017
- First shipments received in early April 2017
WIPP Status
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Questions
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