MISSION: Southwest Research and Information Center is a multi-cultural organization working to promote the health of people and communities, protect natural resources, ensure citizen participation, and secure environmental and social justice now and for future generations
Problems with Shipments to WIPP
Assorted Incidents
Updated December 21, 2001
| DATE | INCIDENT |
|---|---|
| March 26, 1999 | First shipment to WIPP (LANL #1) used undesignated highway through San Ildefonso Pueblo. |
| April 6, 1999 | Shipment from LANL (#2) used undesignated highway through San Ildefonso Pueblo. |
| April 15, 1999 | Shipment from LANL (#3) used undesignated highway through San Ildefonso Pueblo. |
| April 28, 1999 | Shipment from INEEL (#1) was not properly documented. The error was not discovered until the following month, when a DOE WIPP audit discovered 21 deficiencies. |
| June 17, 1999 | Shipment from Rocky Flats (#1) arrived at WIPP with an empty TRUPACT-II with radioactivity on the outside. The incident was not reported to the State, until SRIC notified the State's WIPP coordinator. |
| June 24, 1999 | Shipment from LANL (#12) had a missing inner containment vessel (ICV) port (dust) cover |
| July 2, 1999 | Shipment from Rocky Flats (#2) ticketed at Raton because the radioactive waste placard was loose and not mounted in the proper place. The air hose for the braking system had a leak, but was not cited. |
| , 1999 | Shipment from Rocky Flats arrived at WIPP with a missing ICV port plug O-ring seal. |
| August 25, 1999 | Shipment from INEEL (#2) arrived at WIPP with a missing ICV port plug O-ring seal. |
| 1999 | Several TRUPACT-IIs had aluminium screws that were loose or stripped. About half of the fleet was reconfigured. |
| November 10, 1999 | Six shipments from Rocky Flats were cancelled because of various violations of DOE procedures. |
| [No shipments come to WIPP between November 9, 1999 and March 11, 2000, while the waste sites implement procedures required to meet the WIPP permit issued by the New Mexico Environment Department.] | |
| October 17, 2000 | Shipment from Rocky Flats (#59) when inspected at Raton was cited for a leak in the air brake hose |
| November 21, 2000 | Shipment from INEEL (#28) went 27 miles on Interstate 25 past the turnoff at US 285 east of Santa Fe. Using an unauthorized route was not detected by TRI-State Trucking Company drivers, DOE WIPP officials, or DOE Oak Ridge officials, but was noticed by the New Mexico State Police dispatcher, who contacted DOE. Further shipments by Tri-State are suspended; they resume two months later. |
| December 14, 2000 | Shipment from Rocky Flats (#74) arrived at WIPP with radioactivity on the outer part of the inner lid. |
| December 22, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#29) arrived at WIPP after being delayed for four days because of bad weather. |
| January 7, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#31) arrived at WIPP after being stopped in Springer, New Mexico because of a snow storm. |
| January 9, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#33) arrived at WIPP with radioactivity on the bottom of a drum. |
| January 12, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#34) arrived at WIPP with a drum that was not properly certified. The problem was not identified until June. [See June 27, 2001] |
| January 24, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#35) arrived at WIPP with a drum that was not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| January 26, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#36) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| February 3, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#38) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| February 10, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#40) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| February 13, 2001 | Truck drivers going from WIPP to INEEL to pickup waste do not properly attach the trailer. The drivers are dismissed. The incident is reported to the public seven weeks later. |
| February 24, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#45) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| February 28, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#46) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 4, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#47) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 7, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#48) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 9, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#49) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 14, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#50) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 17, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#51) arrived at WIPP with a drum that was not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 21, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#52) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 24, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#53) arrived with a misnumbered 55-gallon drum. The shipment also contained drums that were not properly certified. This latter problem was not identified until June. [See June 27, 2001] |
| March 30, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#54) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 4, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#55) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 6, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#56) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 7, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#57) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 12, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#58) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 18, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#59) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 19, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#60) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 19, 2001 | Shipment from LANL (#18) violated Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations because it was not correctly identified as Highway Route Controlled, and it was improperly placarded because the shipment contained more radioactivity than stated on the manifest. |
| April 26, 2001 | Shipment from LANL (#19) violated Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations because it was not correctly identified as Highway Route Controlled, and it was improperly placarded because the shipment contained more radioactivity than stated on the manifest. |
| April 27, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#62) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| April 30, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#63) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| May 7, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#64) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| May 18, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#65) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| May 25, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#66) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 1, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#67) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 1, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#68) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 3, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#70) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 5, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#69) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 6, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#72) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 7, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#71) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 8, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#73) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 9, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#74) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 10, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#75) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 10, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#76) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 13, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#77) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 13, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#78) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 15, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#79) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 15, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#80) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 16, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#81) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 17, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#82) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 17, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#83) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 18, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#84) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 21, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#85) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 21, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#86) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 21, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#87) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 23, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#88) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 23, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#89) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 25, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#90) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 25, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#91) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 25, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#92) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. [See June 27, 2001] |
| June 27, 2001 | Shipments from INEEL (#93 & #94) arrived at WIPP with drums that were not properly certified. Three other shipments (INEEL #95, 96, and 97) were enroute to WIPP. All those drums were subsequently held on the surface until EPA allowed them to be disposed in its decision of August 15. [See following June 27, 2001 entry] |
| June 27, 2001 | The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) orders all shipments from INEEL to be suspended because approximately 800 drums that were not properly certified had been shipped to WIPP. Some shipments are allowed to resume on July 9 and on August 15 EPA decides to allow the drums that were not properly certified to be disposed at WIPP and for INEEL to continue to use the previously uncertified characterization system. |
| August 22, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#118) when it was unloaded had a strong odor, which caused at least seven workers to become sick. |
| August 25, 2001 | Shipment from INEEL (#119) was found to have a 55-gallon drum that did not meet waste acceptance criteria. |
| [All shipments were suspended because of the events of September 11. Two shipments from INEEL are diverted to Rocky Flats.] | |
| September 27, 2001 | Shipments from INEEL and Rocky Flats resumed after a 16-day suspension because of the events of September 11. The State was not properly notified about the resumption, resulting in a letter to DOE from Secretary Jennifer Salisbury objecting to the lack of notice. |
| [All shipments were suspended between October 6 and 17 because of nationwide security issues.] | |
Note: Additional information about these incidents is available from SRIC.
WIPP:
- Permit Changes
- Environmental Impact Statement
- WIPP Radiation Leak (09/15/17)
- Litigation
- NO to High Level Waste at WIPP
- Additional Documents
Environmental
Evaluation Group
Archives
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