GOOD News about RAMP

["Vernig, Peter G." <Peter.Vernig@med.va.gov>]

While things have definitely dragged on and EPA contact said that they hoped
maybe by the end of April they'll have the final letters releasing the site.
According to her, DoJ held up the "early settlement" because it was early,
meaning they didn't want to approve a settlement without a final release.
So much for the EPA's desire to have an early settlement.

I was told that EPA headquarters initially wanted to go back to the PRPs to
cover the increased costs of the clean-up and the group that was designated
to negotiate with EPA on behalf of the PRPs responded, "We thought we had a
deal."  EPA Headquarters was eventually persuaded to stick with the terms
negotiated $8M capped cost 60% covered by PRP's.  I personally think that
was wise as my sense of things was that there would VERY likely have been
litigation by some if not all of the major commercial PRPs had EPA come back
to them for another 50% over what had been negotiated.

For those unfamiliar with the situation EPA staff acknowledged, at least
tacitly that they were in part responsible for creating difficult and costly
to dispose of mixed waste in 19 roll offs.  

Peter G. Vernig
Radiation Safety Officer
VA Medical Center, Denver

1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220
ATTN:  RSO, Mail Stop 115
peter.vernig@med.va.gov
303-399-8020 ex 2447
FAX 303-393-5026

Any opinions expressed in this message are solely my own and do not
necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Denver VA Medical Center,
The Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the U.S. Government.

"You win some.  You lose some.  And some get rained out."  Y. Berra

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