Officials at the federal government's troubled nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico say the target date for reopening is being pushed back.
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant has been closed since a February 2014 radiation release that stemmed from a chemical reaction among waste improperly packed inside a drum.
The target date for resuming waste emplacement operations was March 2016.
But officials said Friday that the date "is no longer viable due to a variety of unanticipated issues."
They anticipate having a revised cost and schedule plan sometime this fall.
Since the mishap, all air exiting the underground passes through filters. Ventilation of the underground is reduced based on the filter capacity.
Officials say more airflow will allow more workers to be in the underground at any given time.
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