MANAGEMENT OF A VERY LARGE TYPE B PACKAGING FLEET

The US Department of Energy (USDOE) has begun a 35-year process to dispose of transuranic (TRU) waste generated during the development of the national nuclear defense system. Central to this process is the development and opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located in southeastern New Mexico. Stable salt formations lying 2,150 feet below the surface will be excavated where the TRU waste will be permanently encased and isolated from the environment. The safe disposal of the TRU waste can only be achieved if the material is delivered to the facility in a safe and effective manner. To ensure the safe transport of TRU waste, the USDOE has developed and deployed a wide array of US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) approved Type B packagings. Once fully constructed, the USDOE's WIPP fleet will be one of the largest quantity of Type B packagings assembled in the world. The management of this very large Type B packaging fleet will present both challenges and opportunities for the dedicated professionals of the WIPP project.