nuclear-news

America’s federal govt to be fined by Idaho for not removing nuclear waste

Idaho Plans to Fine Feds for Not Shipping Nuclear Waste Magic Valley.com  9 Jan 15, IDAHO FALLS (AP) | Idaho plans to fine the federal government $3,600 a day for missing a deadline to remove 900,000 gallons of liquid nuclear waste from tanks at a southeast Idaho nuclear facility, state officials said.

The state Department of Environmental Quality said it rejected a request for another extension from the U.S. Department of Energy to go past the Dec. 31 deadline to remove the radioactive waste at the Idaho National Laboratory.

Idaho officials tell the Post Register (http://bit.ly/1BE0XB8 ) that three 50-year-old tanks are no longer supposed to be used for storage under federal laws governing hazardous waste.

“Although DOE has had many years to complete this milestone, DOE has failed to initiate and complete treatment of the liquid wastes in the tanks or construct new tanks,” said DEQ’s Hazardous Waste Compliance Manager Natalie Clough in a letter Tuesday to Richard Provencher, manager of DOE’s Idaho Operations Office. “Completion of this work is a priority of the (DEQ), and further delays are of critical concern.”

The state said fines will increase to $6,000 a day if the waste isn’t gone by July 1.

Department of Energy spokeswoman Danielle Miller said the agency is reviewing the notice of violation it received. She declined to make additional comments…………http://magicvalley.com/news/local/update-idaho-plans-to-fine-feds-for-not-shipping-nuclear/article_521dd666-974e-11e4-b06c-9bc86f76baad.html

January 10, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general