Report: Energy Dept. unlikely to meet accelerated cleanup goals

[struggle4progress]

Associated Press


RICHLAND, Wash. - The U.S. Department of Energy is unlikely to meet its commitment to save $50 billion on cleanup of nuclear sites nationwide, including south-central Washington's Hanford nuclear reservation, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The Energy Department announced the accelerated cleanup program in 2002, saying it would reduce costs by $50 billion, shorten the national cleanup schedule by 35 years and reduce risks to health and the environment. The agency estimated that most of the savings would come from speeding cleanup at the Hanford nuclear site, as well as sites in Idaho and South Carolina.

The largest cost savings was to occur at Hanford, where plutonium was produced for the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal for more than 40 years. <snip>

Those projects include disposing of plutonium-contaminated waste, disposing of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks and closing those tanks. <snip>

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