Report: Govt. Cleanup Falls Short

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Report: Govt. Cleanup Falls Short

WASHINGTON (AP) - There is ``reason to doubt'' the Energy Department 
can clean up a uranium-enrichment plant in Kentucky on schedule and 
get that work done within its budget, congressional auditors said 
Tuesday. 

A report by the General Accounting Office, the investigative and 
auditing arm of Congress, states that DOE estimates it will take 
another 10 years and $1.3 billion to complete its efforts to identify 
and remove toxic and radioactive contamination at the Paducah Gaseous 
Diffusion Plant. That is in addition to $400 million it already has 
spent. 

But the report says it will probably take much more time and money to 
clean up the plant, where uranium used to be enriched by the 
government for bombs and is now enriched by a private company for 
nuclear power. 

``DOE faces many challenges to completing its cleanup as planned,'' 
the report stated. It was released by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., who 
ordered the audit. 

GAO reported that uncertainties about the extent, source and nature 
of the contamination could affect the department's timeline and cost 
estimates. 

GAO also noted that the plan relies on the assumption that federal 
funding for the cleanup will increase to an average of $124 million 
annually through 2010. The report notes that figure is much higher 
than the $43 million the department has received on average over the 
past seven years. For fiscal 2001, the department has requested $78 
million. 

The report also states that the agency's overall plan falls short of 
what actually needs to be done. 

``Even when the planned cleanup has been carried out, billions of 
dollars and many years will be needed to address areas at the Paducah 
site that are not in the cleanup plan,'' the report stated. 

It said the plan does not address large amounts of waste and scrap 
material, some of which poses a risk of an uncontrolled nuclear 
reaction that could threaten worker safety. The report states that 
such a reaction could produce a burst of radiation lasting several 
hours, but it would be localized and would not result in an explosion 
or release of radioactivity into the atmosphere. 

The GAO said DOE also has not included various unused buildings and 
structures and thousands of tons of depleted uranium in its cleanup 
plan. The report recommends that the project include all materials 
that are potential health hazards to workers and the public. 

Carolyn L. Huntoon, DOE assistant secretary for environmental 
management, said in a written response to the GAO that the report 
does not account for ongoing work and improvements at the site. 

Huntoon also criticized the document for failing ``to offer specific 
alternatives or recommendations regarding DOE's planning assumptions 
and targets for completing work.'' 

Bunning was critical of DOE. ``They're not realistic in their 
approach,'' he said. 

Bunning added that he expects the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee to hold a hearing on the report, possibly as soon as next 
week. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
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