Report: Fire training, equipment lacking at US nuclear dump

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Independent federal investigators say there are significant issues related to fire training at the U.S. government’s nuclear waste repository in New Mexico. The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General also found that firefighting vehicles at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant were in disrepair from years of neglected maintenance. Federal officials say they’re making changes to address the issues. The repository is the backbone of a multibillion-dollar program for cleaning up tons of Cold War-era waste from past nuclear research and bomb making. The safety concerns come as New Mexico’s governor and others voice opposition to expanding the types of radioactive waste that can be shipped to the repository.