Jan. 14 marks the first comingled TRU waste shipment by N3B and Triad to WIPP. Courtesy/N3B

N3B/Triad News:

N3B and Triad have successfully partnered to combine transuranic (TRU) waste shipment for additional efficiency.

The shipment, loaded at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) Radioassay and Nondestructive Testing (RANT) facility at Technical Area 54, comingled legacy and new generation radioactive waste, resulting in more efficient shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Jan. 14 marked the first comingled shipment by N3B and Triad to WIPP.

By comingling loads, N3B and Triad can ship legacy and new generation radioactive waste together, maximizing resources while safely transporting waste for off-site disposal.

N3B has shipped more than 75 cubic yards of TRU waste for disposal at WIPP since it began using the RANT facility in October. 

“By teaming up to use RANT and comingle shipments, we are ensuring greater efficiency and speed in removing waste from LANL and disposing of it safely at WIPP,” N3B President Glenn Morgan said.

Previously, N3B and Triad made separate waste shipments and N3B only used an outdoor, mobile loading unit. Using RANT also allows N3B to prepare and make shipments during inclement weather, which was not possible with the mobile loading unit.

“This collaboration between TRIAD and N3B will get more TRU drums off the hill in fewer trucks. It is truly a win-win situation for both contractors, Northern New Mexico, and the environment,” said Chris James, Division Leader for Nuclear Process Infrastructure at LANL.

About N3B

Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos is a limited liability company owned by HII Nuclear, a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries, and BWX Technologies. N3B manages the $1.4 billion, 10-year Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office.