WASHINGTON - Today during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, U.S. Senator Tom Udall urged U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to work constructively with the state of New Mexico to safely reopen the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and prioritize the B61 Life Extension Program, which supports jobs at Los Alamos and Sandia national labs.
WIPP has been closed since an underground truck fire in February 2014, which was followed by a radiological leak later that month. Since then, Udall has fought to ensure WIPP has the resources it needs for recovery and to safely reopen. He is also supporting the state of New Mexico, which has fined the Department of Energy (DOE) for its role in the accidents. Today, Udall reminded Moniz of the importance of respecting the state's regulatory role over WIPP as it negotiates how to pay the penalties the state has imposed. Udall has emphasized that DOE should not use funds designated for cleanup at LANL to pay the penalty.
"This was something I fought hard for as New Mexico's Attorney General — we won a lawsuit against the Department of Energy at the time. So I just want to take this opportunity to remind you, as discussions continue, that this is a unique situation. You're dealing with the only state in the union that has ever accepted a nuclear waste facility, and I'm hopeful that a constructive dialogue over the state of New Mexico's fines for the department can continue along that line."
Udall also pressed Moniz to ensure that safety remains a priority as DOE prepares to reopen WIPP. "I think it's very important that we see it be reopened safely — and I underline the 'safely' — and so I'm hoping that we take that cautious approach to make sure that workers aren't at risk," Udall said, asking Moniz to make sure DOE does not repeat its mistakes and expose workers to unsafe radioactive conditions.
Udall and Moniz also discussed the threat sequestration poses to the National Nuclear Security Administration's B61 Life Extension Program. Both Los Alamos and Sandia national labs are instrumental in carrying out the program, which maintains our nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. Udall has successfully fought efforts to cut the program and save thousands of jobs at the labs, and he remains committed to ensuring it has funding to continue its critical mission.
