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Nuclear Waste: Pretreatment Modifications at DOE Hanford's B Plant Should Be Stopped

RCED-91-165 Published: Jun 12, 1991. Publicly Released: Jul 17, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) plans to modify its Hanford Site B Plant in Washington to pretreat mixed high-level radioactive waste before the vitrification process to turn it into glass.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should direct the Manager of the DOE Richland Operations Office to cancel all projects designed primarily to upgrade B Plant as a pretreatment facility and shift the funds for those projects to developing an acceptable alternative.
Closed – Implemented
DOE decided against using B Plant as a pretreatment facility. Therefore, DOE has cancelled 26 of the 33 projects designed to upgrade the plant. Those portions of the remaining 7 projects that were associated with the pretreatment operations in B Plant were removed from the projects.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should direct the Manager of the DOE Richland Operations Office to ensure that only projects designed to support waste encapsulation and storage facility operations are continued.
Closed – Implemented
DOE has reassessed the authorized purpose of the projects funded for the B Plant and has cancelled all projects not needed for the waste encapsulation and storage facility.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should direct the Manager of the DOE Richland Operations Office to develop an approach for making decisions on environmental projects that: (1) takes into account all available information; (2) is premised on full compliance with environmental regulations; and (3) requires open communication with the appropriate regulators.
Closed – Implemented
DOE undertook a 15-month reevaluation of its high-level waste disposal program in December 1992. In March 1993 the reevaluation of the program, including those aspects associated with environmental compliance, was completed. DOE has been discussing its new approach with state regulators.

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Topics

Environmental lawFederal facilitiesstate relationsHazardous substancesNoncomplianceRadioactive waste disposalReporting requirementsWaste treatmentRadioactive wastesNuclear waste