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2006 WIPP Recertification Decision
WIPP
On March 29, 2006, EPA officially recertified that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) continues to comply with the waste disposal regulations at 40 CFR Part 191, Subparts B and C and WIPP Compliance Criteria at 40 CFR Part 194.
In the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act, Congress required EPA to “recertify” the facility every five years following the initial receipt of transuranic (TRU) waste until the end of its operational activities. WIPP first received TRU waste on March 26, 1999, and this action represents the first of EPA’s periodic evaluations of the facility's continued compliance.
On this page:
- How does recertification affect the operation of WIPP?
- What is the basis for EPA's recertification decision?
- Technical Support Documents
- EPA Fact Sheets About the Recertification
- How can I obtain WIPP publications not offered on-line?
How does recertification affect the operation of WIPP?
Recertification is a process that evaluates changes at WIPP, to determine whether the facility continues to meet all the requirements of EPA’s disposal regulations. The recertification process helps ensure WIPP's continued compliance based on the most accurate, up-to-date information available. Recertification does not mean that the decision to open WIPP is being reconsidered.
What is the basis for EPA's recertification decision?
EPA based its recertification decision on a thorough review of information submitted by DOE, independent technical analyses, and public comments. All of the documents related to the Agency's recertification decision are available through the EPA WIPP Docket. Many of the documents are available in electronic format below:
(We recommend that you read these documents in the order they are listed. The level of detail and complexity increases as you go down the list.)
- Federal Register notice announcing the decision (PDF) (12pp, 106 Kb)
- Compliance application review documents (CARDs) (PDF) (270pp, 1.42Mb)
- Technical support documents
- Fact sheets about the recertification decision
- DOE's Recertification Application
Technical Support Documents
EPA Fact Sheets About the Recertification
- 2006 Recertification, No. 1 -- Overview (PDF) (3pp, 1.03Kb) (03/06)
- 2006 Recertification, No. 2 -- Public Information and Input on WIPP (PDF) (1pp, 280Kb) (03/06)
- 2006 Recertification, No. 3 -- Performance Assessment (PDF) (2pp, 296Kb) (03/06)
- 2006 Recertification, No. 4 -- TRU Waste Inventory (PDF) (2pp, 274Kb) (03/06)
- 2006 Recertification, No. 5 -- Groundwater (PDF) (2pp, 317Kb) (03/06)
- 2006 Recertification, No. 6-- Karst (PDF) (1pp, 227 Kb) (03/06)
- Proposed Changes to EPA’s Compliance Criteria for the Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (PDF) (1pp, 126Kb) (June '02)
- Regulating the Safety of WIPP (PDF) (5pp, 642Kb) (May '02)
- Final Certification Decision for the WIPP (PDF) (3pp, 41Kb) (May '98)
- EPA's Continuing Regulation of the WIPP (PDF) (2pp, 39Kb) (May '98)
How can I obtain WIPP publications not offered on-line?
- Receive new WIPP publications--hot off the press!--by adding your name to the WIPP mailing list.
- Order any of the publications listed by contacting us.
- You can find Federal Register notices and other documents relating to the legal aspects of EPA's certification and recertification decisions on the WIPP Compliance Certification and Recertification Decisions Documents page and in the Dockets.
