WIPP has created a mock-up of Room 7 to test various ‘reach’ tools. Courtesy/WIPP

WIPP News:

As the investigation into the cause of the Feb. 14 radiological release continues, WIPP teams are working to create a system to examine all containers in Panel 7, Room 7. To date, visual inspection of the room’s 24 rows of
waste containers has been limited to rows 15 to 24.

Workers are evaluating several different systems that would allow recovery teams to obtain video imaging, thermography, and sampling data on the waste containers in rows 1-14 – those that are the furthest back in the room.

Options include a device that uses carbon fiber rods to extend the camera, a gantry camera suspended on wires, or a boom system mounted on a trolley that would move across the waste face from wall to wall and out 90 feet to view all rows of waste.

To assist in their evaluation, employees created a mock-up of the area being examined in Room 7, which measures 33 feet wide and 80 feet deep. The team also uses container replications for the mock-up testing. This allows the team to test the equipment and to practice operation of each option.

Staff from WIPP, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Savannah River National Laboratory are all participating in the process of testing the various options.

Community meetings scheduled
July 10 – The City of Carlsbad and DOE will co-host its bi-monthly meeting featuring updates on WIPP recovery activities. The originally scheduled July 3 meeting was moved to accommodate residents’ July 4 weekend activities. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. July 10, Thursday in the Carlsbad City Council Chambers, 101 N. Halagueno St. Live streaming of the weekly meetings can be seen at http://new.livestream.com/rrv/.