Congressman Pearce Introduces Legislation to Protect WIPP Jobs

Press Release

On Friday, Congressman Pearce introduced H.R. 2367, which will address the impending job loss at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP is running out of material to process under its current limited mission, but has demonstrated that it has the capacity and ability to safely handle waste. Rep. Pearce's bill will allow WIPP to accept waste with the same characteristics as that which it already handles, from the federal government as a whole. This legislation does not change the type of waste the facility accepts. As a result, Rep. Pearce hopes that WIPP--which provides not only local jobs, but also an invaluable service to the nation--will be preserved well into the future.

"WIPP is a key part of the economy in Carlsbad and the State of New Mexico," said Pearce. "WIPP has demonstrated great success within its current mission and has safely removed over 75,000 cubic meters of waste from Department of Energy sites around the country. Given WIPP's success, we must act now to protect the jobs at WIPP, which also support other jobs in the local community. While modest, this proposal will help ensure that these important jobs remain in New Mexico."

Rep. Pearce has been in close contact with the mayor of Carlsbad and other local officials, who have expressed support of this important legislation.

Currently, WIPP only handles transuranic (TRU) waste--exposed material such as gloves, clothing, tools, aprons, etc.--generated by the Department of Energy as part of a defense mission. Under this limited mission, WIPP is expected to start losing jobs as it runs out of material to process, impacting the local economy. Rep. Pearce's bill does not alter the type or grade of waste handled by WIPP, maintaining restrictions to only federally-owned TRU waste that meets existing federal guidelines. Accepting waste from federal sources other than the Department of Energy is a sufficient change to protect WIPP jobs.

Congressman Pearce and his staff will continue to closely watch the findings of the ongoing blue ribbon commission on nuclear waste. To date, none of the commission's draft findings conflict with Rep. Pearce's legislation.

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