SIMCO

Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) proudly served as a Gold Sponsor at the 9th Annual EnergyPlex Conference 2026 in Hobbs, New Mexico. Mining Operations Manager Mike Marksberry, Communications Manager Bobby St. John, and Community Relations & Charitable Giving lead Ekta Bhakta represented SIMCO at the VIP dinner, which featured a thought-provoking panel discussion with local legislators covering key priorities for southeast New Mexico — including interim legislative priorities, the importance of the upcoming November elections, and critical issues facing our region. As exhibitors, the team also had the opportunity to share information on the WIPP mission. Thank you to the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County and Jennifer Grassham for hosting another outstanding event that brings together industry leaders, community partners, and policymakers driving the future of energy.

Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) proudly took part in Carlsbad’s Inspired by Science Camp Family STEM Night. The annual camp held at Southeast New Mexico College invited families Thursday night to take part in hands-on activities and demonstrations, from local organizations including SIMCO, Los Alamos Technical Associates and Sandia National Laboratories. About 100 kids ages 7 to 12 participated in the week-long camp, one of the largest events organized each year by Inspired by Science, which has been providing area STEM programs for more than 10 years.

The Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office and Salado Isolation Mining Contractors welcomed Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management (EM) Tim Walsh recently during a visit to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the nation's only deep, geologic repository for defense-generated transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste, a critical part of the Department of Energy’s EM cleanup of Cold War nuclear production sites.

The two-day tour, of both the surface and underground, was attended by Walsh, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joel Bradburne, Chief Operating Officer David Brunnert, Communications Director Justin Doil and Chief of Staff John Howard. It included a look at the operations to dispose of the nation’s (TRU) waste more than 2,150 feet safely and permanently underground at the site outside of Carlsbad, NM.

Assistant Secretary Walsh said, “WIPP is such an important piece to the overall EM mission and broader national security priorities, and to be here, tasting the airborne salt dust in the mine is an experience that I’ll never forget.”