Nuclear dump facing space, staffing challenges

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. » The federal government’s only underground nuclear waste dump could run out of room if the number of drums shipped to theNewMexico site keeps expanding or if a new method for measuring the waste is unraveled as part of a pending legal challenge, according to a nonpartisan congressional watchdog. The Government Accountability Office in a recent report said better planning is needed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant to avoid potential disruptions. The report specifically points to the need for adding more physical space at the repository before it becomes full, which the U.S. Energy Department estimates could happen as soon as 2025. The agency faces statutory limitations on howmuch waste can be disposed of at the site.