WIPP Continuing Compliance

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) submits the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) to EPA every two years. The purpose of the BECR is to demonstrate that the WIPP is in in compliance with applicable laws and permit requirements. EPA reviews the BECR and makes a determination whether the WIPP is in compliance with applicable Federal laws pertaining to public health and safety of the environment, including the regulations and permit requirements under such laws. This environmental compliance determination is a distinct regulatory process that is not part of the recertification process for the WIPP. Find out more about WIPP Certification and Recertification.

DOE informs EPA of its intent to make any changes at the WIPP.  EPA reviews each request and will approve it if DOE demonstrates that it can continue to meet radioactive waste disposal standards. Unplanned changes must be reported to EPA in a timely manner consistent with the significance of the change or conditions that prompted it.

On this page:

• Biennial Environmental Compliance Reports
• Planned and Unplanned Changes at the WIPP
  • 2025 Replacement Waste Panels 11 & 12
  • 2025 Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System
  • 2014 Panel Closure Redesign

Biennial Environmental Compliance Reports

For details regarding Biennial Compliance Reports prior to 2014, you can find those documents in the WIPP Dockets or contact us at radiation.questions@epa.gov.

2024 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

EPA concluded that the WIPP remained in compliance with applicable environmental Federal laws and regulations for the reporting period of April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024.

• 2024 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report
  • Accessibility Statement: 2022-2024 WIPP BECR (pdf) (79.73 KB)
  • US DOE: 2022-2024 WIPP (pdf) (31.42 MB)
    This document does not conform to current Section 508 Compliance standards. For assistance in accessing this document, please submit a request to radiation.questions@epa.gov and include the document link as part of your request.
• EPA’s Determination of Compliance
  • 4/22/25: EPA’s (L. Zeldin) letter to DOE (C. Wright) – Transmitting EPA’s Determination of Compliance for the 2022-2024 WIPP BECR (pdf) (1.29 MB)

2022 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

EPA concluded that the WIPP remained in compliance with applicable environmental Federal laws and regulations for the reporting period of April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2022.

All supplemental information related to the 2022 BECR, can be found at Docket Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0012-0773.

2020 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

EPA concluded that the WIPP remained in compliance with applicable environmental Federal laws and regulations for the reporting period of April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2020.

The report and all supplemental information related to the 2020 BECR, can be found at Docket Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0012-0701.

2018 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

EPA concluded that the WIPP remained in compliance with applicable environmental Federal laws and regulations for the reporting period of April 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018.

Please contact radiation.questions@epa.gov for the 2018 BECR.

All supplemental information related to the 2018 BECR, can be found at Docket Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0012-0484.

2014 & 2016 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

During the April 1, 2012, through March 31, 2014 reporting period, an airborne radiological release occurred at the WIPP. DOE’s Accident Investigation Board’s review of this incident identified several deficiencies associated with the operation of the WIPP. These deficiencies were not addressed in DOE’s October 2014 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report submission. In 2016, EPA received corrective action documentation from DOE and was able to conclude its review of the BECR for the reporting period, April 1, 2012, through March 31, 2014. 

EPA considered DOE's compliance as part of its review for the next reporting period, from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2016.

The report and all supplemental information related to the 2014 & 2016 BECR:

• 2016 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR)
• EPA’s 2016 Review Activities at Docket Document ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0012-0467
• EPA’s Determination for Compliance (pdf) (June 3, 2016)
• 2014 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) (pdf) (September 2014)
• 2014 BECR Cover Letter (pdf) (October 29, 2014)
• Supplement to the 2014 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (pdf) (January 30, 2015)
• EPA’s 2014 Review Activities at Docket Document ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0265-0001

Learn more about the 2014 Radiological Event at the WIPP.

Related Correspondence for the 2014 & 2016 BECR’s

• EPA Regional Administrator’s letter regarding documentation for BECR Review (pdf) (505.45 KB, April 6, 2015)
  On April 6, 2015, the EPA’s Region 6 Administrator, Ron Curry (acting as the EPA’s designated authority via HQ Administrator Gina McCarthy), issued a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Environmental Management. Since documentation for thorough technical review had not been submitted by DOE, EPA was unable to complete the compliance review at that time.
• Cover Letter: Response from DOE to the Environmental Protection Agency Regarding the 2014 Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (pdf) (281.73 KB)
  This letter from DOE on January 2015 provides details about supplemental information that DOE is providing regarding the 2014 WIPP Biennial Environmental Compliance Report.
• Cover Letter: Response from EPA to DOE regarding the 2014 WIPP Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (pdf) (418.3 KB)
  This letter from December 2014 confirms that EPA started reviewing the 2014 WIPP Biennial Environmental Compliance Report.

Planned and Unplanned Changes at the WIPP

For details regarding changes at the WIPP prior to 2014, you can find those documents in the WIPP Dockets or contact us at radiation.questions@epa.gov.

Replacement Waste Panels 11 and 12

On July 31, 2025, EPA approved the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Planned Change Request to use replacement panels 11 and 12 at the WIPP repository for disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste. EPA found that DOE demonstrated that the repository would meet the EPA's numeric release limits and thus warranted approval. The 2014 incident at the WIPP and its subsequent impacts at the facility resulted in a loss of underground disposal capacity, mainly due to closures in the southern portion of the repository. Adding replacement panels 11 and 12 will recover the lost disposal capacity of approximately two panels. These panels were previously approved by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) under its hazardous waste permit in October 2023. 

• All correspondence and supplemental information about Replacement Waste Panels 11 and 12 are on Regulations.gov at: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0309
• Response to Comments on the DOE Replacement Panels Planned Change Request for the WIPP (pdf)
• Recordings and presentations from the stakeholder meetings are available at WIPP Stakeholder Engagement.

Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System

In March 2025, DOE completed testing of the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS). The SSCVS is a new, state-of-the-art, large-scale ventilation system that pulls air through the repository, removes salt, and sends the air through the HEPA filtration units before it’s released to the environment. The new ventilation system will increase underground airflow from 170,000 cubic feet per minute up to a maximum of 540,000 cubic feet per minute. 

This has replaced the 700-C Fan and the Interim Ventilation System (IVS). The 700-C fan has been decommissioned and is no longer being used for ventilation. The SSCVS has six fans that operate to provide ventilation from the underground. They operate on schedule, with four in operation at a time, one in standby, and one being rotated out for maintenance.

In addition, the new sampling point for facility exhaust is Station G, which is located downstream of the SSCVS. The former sampling point for the facility exhaust was Station B, which was located downstream of the IVS. IVS has been decommissioned with the SSCVS coming online to provide improved air flow from the underground.

As of 2026, the SSCVS is online, and in operation.

• Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System Final Report
• EPA’s completed review of Station G as the new sampling point for facility exhaust

Panel Closure Redesign 2014

On September 30, 2014, EPA approved the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) planned change request to implement the Run-of-Mine Salt Panel Closure System (ROMPCS) at the WIPP. This action modified a small portion of the WIPP Compliance Criteria (40 CFR Part 194, Appendix A, Condition 1). This approved panel closure system makes use of mined salt backfill and steel bulkheads to permanently seal waste panels in the repository.

• Notice of proposed rulemaking and the final rule in the Federal Register.
• Technical analyses, proposed rule documents and public meeting records in the official docket, EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0684.
• Details from the stakeholder meetings are available at WIPP Stakeholder Engagement.