Independent Assessment of the 2023 Full-Scale Emergency Management Exercise at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - February 2024

February 2024,

Independent Assessment of the 2023 Full-Scale Emergency Management Exercise at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) conducted an independent assessment of the emergency management program during the 2023 full-scale exercise at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) from September to November 2023. This assessment evaluated the effectiveness of the management and operating contractor, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC (SIMCO) and the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) programs in managing and maintaining emergency response organization performance via the October 18, 2023, emergency management annual exercise. This assessment considered requirements documented in DOE Order 151.1D, Comprehensive Emergency Management System. EA appraised the performance of the emergency response organization at key decision-making venues to determine whether SIMCO responded effectively to an Operational Emergency and took appropriate response measures to protect workers, responders, and the public.