City welcomes new WIPP contractor
As reported in media outlets, Tularosa Basin Range Services has been selected by the Department of Energy as the new management and operations contractor for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Tularosa’s parent company is Bechtel. This marks a significant change, as it is the first time in WIPP’s history that Amentum and its heritage companies- such as Westinghouse- have not been a part of the partnership awarded this contract.
While there will certainly be administrative changes over the next few months, the DOE knows that it has a great workforce in place at WIPP. The WIPP process is working, and there is certainly good reason to believe that most processes at the facility will continue in a similar fashion.
Carlsbad is proud to be the host community to WIPP. The underground repository is completing an important national mission, and that wouldn’t be the case were it not this community’s strong support, both decades ago and in the present. We look forward to working with Bechtel to ensure that the highest possible standards remain in place when it comes to safety, operations and community investment.
We want to thank Nuclear Waste Partnership and its parent company for being such excellent community members over the years. NWP has been a proud sponsor of too many projects around Carlsbad to name here. Most importantly, NWP has been an excellent employer to hundreds of Carlsbad residents. Special thanks to NWP President and General Manager Sean Dunagan for everything he has done.
The New Mexico Little League State Softball Tournament is going on right now at the Bob Forrest Youth Sports Complex in Carlsbad. We’ve received some great feedback from those attending and participating. Visitors were especially impressed by the fact that our golf cart driver pulled over to salute the American flag when the National Anthem was playing.
There are six Junior, six 10-year-old and five senior teams participating in the tournament, which ends on Wednesday. On Saturday night, there were 24 teams participating in a 3 v 3 soccer tournament. Coming up, the 11-year-old New Mexico Little League tournament will be taking place. We’re always glad to show off our beautiful sports complex.
Don’t forget that we have a splash pad at the sports complex – in the softball area. This splash pad is free and open to the public whenever the sports complex is open. We have many people visit our sports complex who aren’t event involved in youth sports- either to check out the splash pad or because they really like the food at the concession stands. Becky Thompson holds the contract at the concession stand, and her food is worth a special trip.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: WIPP gets new operations manager
