Simulation model for shipment of waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The United States Department of Energy has agreed to ship 15,000 drums of cold war legacy waste from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This waste must undergo characterization and certification prior to shipment. The processes required to characterize and certify waste for shipment to WIPP are extremely complex. A simulation model was developed to analyze drum throughput in these various processes. Inputs to the model include process start and stop dates, machine upgrade dates, process times, and process rejection rates. Outputs include machine utilization, buffer storage statistics, truckloads shipped per month, drums shipped per month, and drum inventory by facility. The simulation model continues to facilitate the INEEL strategic and tactical planning needed to accomplish the agreement within the required time frame.