Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. government facility in New Mexico designed for safely storing radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production. It is a deep underground repository in salt formations, which naturally seal in the waste and prevent radiation from escaping. WIPP is carefully monitored and managed to ensure environmental and public safety over thousands of years. It is the world’s only operating deep geological storage site for transuranic waste, providing a secure method of disposal that isolates hazardous radioactive materials far below the surface.