DOE Awards SIMCO Three More Years to Lead WIPP Operations

CARLSBAD, N.M., December 10, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a contract modification to Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) for an additional three years to manage and operate the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, NM. The extended performance period begins October 1, 2026 and continues through September 30, 2029. With this extension, SIMCO will continue advancing WIPP’s mission of safely disposing TRU waste while protecting workers, the public and the environment.

DOE’s decision follows a comprehensive performance review highlighting SIMCO’s achievements:

• Safety Leadership: SIMCO has demonstrated a strong commitment to safely and compliantly delivering the mission, operating without a recordable injury since February 2025. Its 12-month rolling Total Recordable Incident Rate of 0.21 at the end of November is well below SIMCO’s aggressive target of 0.30 and far outperforms DOE’s goals of 0.8 (established by Carlsbad Field Office) and 1.1 (DOE headquarters).
• Operational Excellence: SIMCO exceeded shipping goals for three consecutive years.
• Infrastructure Success: SIMCO delivered two major projects ahead of schedule and under budget - the new underground air filtration and ventilation system and a utility shaft that enhances airflow and will serve as an additional hoist. The team also refurbished the salt pocket and completed multiple site improvements.

“We are pleased to extend SIMCO’s contract for the next three years,” said Mark Bollinger, manager of DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office. “SIMCO has been an exceptional partner, safely emplacing waste from across the nation while completing critical infrastructure projects ahead of schedule and under budget, all without disrupting WIPP’s mission or compromising safety.”

The Bechtel-led SIMCO team has strengthened the nation’s only deep geologic repository for defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste, exceeding shipment goals each year, advancing major infrastructure upgrades and maintaining uninterrupted TRU waste processing – all with more than 2 million safe work hours and no lost-time incidents. Under the leadership of SIMCO, the site has consistently exceeded waste-shipment targets, including completing its 1,000th shipment under SIMCO’s stewardship.

SIMCO was awarded a ten-year management and operating contract in November 2022, which consisted of an initial four-year base contract and six one-year contract extension options. In this recent agreement, DOE extended the contract for three of the six one-year extensions, with the remaining three one-year options still available to be exercised.

“We appreciate DOE’s continued confidence in our team and the work we deliver,” said Ken Harrawood, SIMCO president and program manager. “Our partnership with the Carlsbad Field Office is exceptional, and we look forward to advancing this work to continue WIPP’s important environmental cleanup mission.”