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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
March 17, 2021|12:00–1:30PM (1:00–2:30PM EDT)
ANS Members Only
ANS Members, please log in to watch this webinar.
Radioactive waste is handled responsibly, safely, and securely around the world, though delays in taking the final step toward disposal of high-level wastes is still, generally, decades away. Important progress is being made in several countries, in particular Finland, Sweden, and France are moving forward towards the realization of such disposal facilities and countries like Belgium and Switzerland are following closely behind. Most other countries are trailing by more than two decades, as only generic designs for such disposal facilities are available, and the process towards the identification of a disposal site is yet to be started (or restarted).
This webinar provides an overview of the current progress and status of such disposal programs globally and the technical, socio-political, and regulatory timelines associated with such disposal facilities. The webinar also address the more recent considerations for a more integrated waste management policy seeking to optimize the overall management of all radioactive wastes requiring disposal.
Panelists
John Kessler, J Kessler and Associates
Luc Van den Durpel, Nuclear-21
Moderator
Rodney J. McCullum, Nuclear Energy Institute
Presentation Slides
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