Federal officials gathered in southern New Mexico to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the nation's sole underground repository for radioactive waste resulting from nuclear research and bomb making. Located outside Carlsbad, WIPP has received approximately 13,850 shipments from various national laboratories and sites since its establishment in 1999.
The anniversary coincides with concerns raised by New Mexico regarding the federal government's plans to repackage and transport drums of radioactive materials to WIPP. This issue stems from a radiation release incident in 2014 that contaminated parts of the facility, leading to a lengthy closure and policy changes at labs nationwide.
