July 18, 2003

Disposal of Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is the Department of Energy's underground repository for defense-generated Transuranic (TRU) waste. TRU waste consists of items such as clothing, gloves, and tools contaminated with small amounts of radioactive elements. Most TRU wastes can be handled by workers using minimal specialized protective gear and is referred to as "contact-handled" TRU. However, TRU wastes with a surface radiation dose rate greater than 200 millirem per hour must be handled using remote devices and is referred to as "remote-handled'.