U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. During a recent Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., confirmed with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz that the recovery effort at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad is on track to return the facility to normal operation by the current target date of 2018.
WIPP is the only active facility in the United States that disposes defense-generated transuranic (TRU) waste. The facility halted operations in February 2014 following two separate accidents – a fire and a radiation release.
Last August, Heinrich joined Moniz at WIPP for an “all hands” employee meeting, surface tour and townhall with Carlsbad residents.
Watch videos of the Heinrich’s thoughts on WIPP as well as a discussion to modernize the U.S.’ electric grid by incorporating advanced energy-storage technology such as batteries: