INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO TECHNICAL–PUBLIC AFFAIRS COLLABORATIONS

Once the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) opened and the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit became effective, the nation’s 23 transuranic (TRU) waste sites faced the daunting task of shipping waste across the country to WIPP. After 25 years of talking, planning, and regulatory hurdles, the pipeline was open, and the WIPP was ready to receive TRU waste. Recognizing the enormity of this task, the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), which manages the WIPP, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters launched a major initiative to assess the waste system and recommend modifications to optimize it. The process of managing, organizing, facilitating, and implementing this massive effort involved DOE, its WIPP contractors, and TRU waste managers at all DOE sites across the country. More than 100 people, representing all the DOE TRU waste sites, participated in the eight-month process that resulted in an innovative approach to enhanced communications that involved public affairs staff working directly with technical staff