N.M. Tech's Environmental Evaluation Group Signs Agreement

CARLSBAD, N.M., February 13, 2002 -- New Mexico Tech's Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) recently signed a new joint agreement with the U. S. Department of Energy, Westinghouse TRU Solutions, and the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center to coordinate all the participating agencies's various independent efforts to effectively monitor air released from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad.

One of the signees, EEG Director Matthew Silva states, "This formalizes the continuing cooperative efforts between these organizations on this issue. As we have all learned and long recognized, cooperation is vital to independent oversight and public confidence."

Based in offices in Albuquerque and Carlsbad, EEG is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers that provides independent technical evaluation of the WIPP facility to ensure the protection of public health and safety and the environment of
New Mexico. The oversight group was established in 1978 through a contract between the State of New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Energy, and later was assigned to operate under the administration of New Mexico Tech in 1989.