Arr, New Mexico be fretting over them landlubbers tryin' to send back their cursed radioactive booty from Texas! Aargh!
2024-03-26
Arrr! The landlubbers be meetin' in NM to celebrate 25 years of buryin' their loot in th' Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. But thar be trouble brewin' as they look to bring in more radioactive booty from Texas. Aye, the regulators be squawkin' like seagulls over this scheme! Arrr!
In the language of a 17th century pirate, federal officials be gatherin' in southern New Mexico to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the nation’s only underground repository for radioactive waste from nuclear research and bomb making. Carved out of an ancient salt formation half a mile deep, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant outside Carlsbad be receivin' shipments from over a dozen national laboratories since 1999. But New Mexico be raisin' concerns about the government's plans for shippin' drums of waste to WIPP, after a radiation release in 2014 contaminated the facility.Drums from Los Alamos National Laboratory be sittin' in Texas for years, as the DOE scrambles to find a way to safely transport and dispose of the waste. New Mexico demands more safety information, arguin' that time alone does not treat hazardous waste. The 2014 radiation release was caused by improper packaging, raisin' questions about the risk of another reaction.Sandia National Laboratories be studyin' the issue, suggestin' new packaging methods for added thermal protection. But the DOE has yet to offer guarantees against future reactions, and the timetable for movin' the waste remains unclear. New Mexico regulators be demandin' consultation, citin' permit requirements and federal laws for handling radioactive waste.Watchdog groups warn that untreated waste may not comply with safety standards, highlightin' the risks of shippin' hazardous materials. The lesson here be clear - before any waste be shipped, it must be ensured to be safe and stable, lest it be stranded for years in the desert."