Skip to main content

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Has Made Some Progress in Cleaning Up the Paducah Site, but Challenges Remain

GAO-04-457 Published: Apr 01, 2004. Publicly Released: Apr 01, 2004.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

In 1988, radioactive contamination was found in the drinking water wells of residences near the federal government's uranium enrichment plant in Paducah, Kentucky. In response, the Department of Energy (DOE) began a cleanup program. In 2000, GAO reported that DOE faced significant challenges in cleaning up the site and that it was doubtful that the cleanup would be completed as scheduled by 2010 and within the $1.3 billion cost projection. GAO was asked to determine (1) the amount of money DOE has spent on the site, the purposes for which it was spent, and the estimated total costs for the site; (2) the status of DOE cleanup efforts; and (3) the challenges GAO previously identified that continue to be issues for DOE.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy To help improve the likelihood that DOE and the regulators will reach timely agreement on the cleanup approach, the Secretary of Energy should direct the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Environmental Management to involve the Commonwealth of Kentucky and EPA early in the development of the annual site management plan and specific projects--before submitting formal cleanup proposals for regulatory approval--so that the parties can identify and resolve their concerns and reach consensus on cleanup decisions in a more timely manner.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE believes that it has been successful in fostering a constructive relationship with its regulators and point to the successful negotiation with EPA and Kentucky that resulted in the approval of the fiscal year 2004 site management plan in April 2004. DOE stated its intent to continue to involve the regulators early in the decision-making process with the understanding that all decisions affecting the Paducah site will be made by senior DOE managers.
Department of Energy To help improve the likelihood that DOE and the regulators will reach timely agreement on the cleanup approach, the Secretary of Energy should direct the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Environmental Management to, in conjunction with Kentucky and EPA, identify and retain external technical peer review groups with environmental cleanup expertise to facilitate timely resolution of any future differences between DOE and the regulators.
Closed – Implemented
Kentucky and EPA staff were tasked to follow up and discuss with DOE the potential establishment of a third party peer review group. Although Kentucky and EPA expressed reservations, verbally, about establishing a formal peer review group that might impinge upon their authority as the State and Federal regulatory agencies for the Paducah Site, they agreed to utilize outside expertise from third parties to help resolve technical issues on a case-by-case basis. For example, EPA and Kentucky have agreed to abide by the conclusions of a third party (University of Kentucky Consortium) analysis of the seismic conditions at Paducah's on-site contained landfill. Both Kentucky and EPA have indicated an ongoing willingness to consider use of such third party expertise on a case-by-case basis under future circumstances where such assistance may prove necessary to resolve technical issues.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Budget outlaysCost analysisDecontaminationCost overrunsEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesstate relationsHazardous substancesPotable waterRadioactive pollutionRadioactive waste disposalSchedule slippagesWater pollution control