In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) notified the EPA that they are planning to restart one of their legacy exhaust fans – the 700-C – to provide increased airflow to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) underground. The fan was initially suspended after the WIPP radiological incident in 2014. The DOE has sent the Agency a projected schedule and a response to EPA’s initial questions on the 700-C fan restart.

The EPA has reviewed all the information and documentation that the DOE submitted regarding the 4-hour test of the fan at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The Agency expects that the emissions will remain within all regulatory limits. 

The EPA expects that the DOE will be able to accurately measure the air emissions at sampling Station A.

• Any radioactivity from these emissions will be collected on station filters, which then go to labs for testing. 

• There will also be real-time sampling of the exhaust from the WIPP facility, which we expect to give confirmation of low-levels of radioactivity from any emissions

The EPA will closely evaluate the DOE’s activities and sampling results as they progress with additional testing.

View the DOE website dedicated to the 700-C fan restart.

• WIPP 700-C Fan Restart Projected Schedule (PDF)(4 pp, 117 K, November 30, 2020)
  Charts with the activities and projected schedule for the restart of the 700-C at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
• DOE Responses to EPA Questions on Restart of 700-C at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) (PDF)(149 pp, 6 MB, December 27, 2020)
  DOE responses to EPA's questions about the restart of the 700-C fan at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
• Procedures for Station A (PDF)(48 pp, 285 K, January 7, 2021)
  Procedures for the fixed air sampler vacuum system, sample probe replacement, and flow instrument calibration.
• Recent Station A Maintenance History (PDF)(3 pp, 396 K, January 7, 2021)
  Summary of recent maintenance history of Station A, listing of work orders.
• Technical Assistance Team (TAT) March 2015 Report Information on LANL Waste Drum 686660 (PDF)(2 pp, 69 K, January 7, 2021)
  Tables E-5 and E-7 from March 2015 TAT Report
• WIPP Waste Data System (WDS) information on Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Waste Drum 68660 (PDF)(1 pg, 683 K, January 7, 2021)
  Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Container Data Report
• Letter from EPA to R. Kerr of DOE (PDF)(5 pp, 352 K, January 13, 2020)
  Letter from L. Veal of EPA to R. Kerr of DOE about DOE's proposed test of the 700C ventilation fan.