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GAO's Views on DOE's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan

T-RCED-90-16 Published: Nov 14, 1989. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 1989.
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Highlights

GAO discussed a Department of Energy (DOE) environmental restoration and waste management plan. GAO noted that: (1) DOE proposed a 5-year plan to address problems regarding radioactive waste tank leakage, groundwater contamination, inactive waste sites, environmental law compliance, and DOE management oversight; (2) DOE estimated that its cleanup plan would cost about $19.1 billion from 1991 through 1995; (3) the plan's cost estimates will probably increase over the next 5 years, given cleanup cost uncertainties; (4) the plan included new waste management technologies which could reduce future cleanup costs, although the technologies were years away from application; and (5) overall, DOE cleanup goals will require a strong, nationwide commitment over the next 30 years.

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Environmental policiesEnvironmental researchFuture budget projectionsGroundwater contaminationHazardous substancesNuclear facility safetyNuclear weapons plantsPollution controlRadioactive pollutionWaste disposalWaste management