The U.S. Department of Energy has selected a Bechtel company, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO), to manage and operate an underground nuclear waste repository plant located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA.

The project intends to safely dispose of defense-related nuclear waste and is valued at up to US$3 billion over 10 years if all options are exercised. The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements, known as transuranic or TRU waste.