DOE to speed up Test Site cleanup

Friday, May 31, 2002 | 9:33 a.m.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced plans on Thursday to clean up contamination 10 years sooner than expected at the Nevada Test Site, where the federal government conducted nuclear weapons experiments for 41 years.

The department has requested an extra $33 million for the 2003 budget, Abraham said. If Congress approves the cleanup budget, the Test Site would receive $94 million next year.

"This agreement provides the framework necessary to accelerate cleanup, and it is a major step to effectively reduce health risks and expedite the environmental cleanup of the Nevada Test Site," Abraham said.

The National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office and Nevada officials signed a letter pushing to accelerate the cleanup of the site, which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island and 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Instead of finishing cleanup work in 2020, the Energy Department promises to complete it by 2010, Assistant Environmental Manager Carl Gertz said.

"Keep in mind that the funds still have to be appropriated by Congress," Gertz said.

Gov. Kenny Guinn hailed the extra funds, pointing out that the Bush administration's proposed budget had slashed Test Site cleanup funds from $85 million in 2001 to $61 million.

"Included in this $94 million program is continuation of the ground-water monitoring program at the Nevada Test Site, which is critical for the health and safety of Nevadans living in proximity to the Test Site," Guinn said.

Under the speedier cleanup plan, about 1,500 industrial sites contaminated during the above- and below-ground nuclear testing will be cleaned up two years sooner, the groundwater monitoring program will move ahead and soils contaminated with plutonium will be removed by 2010, Gertz said.

The Energy Department and state environmental officials have been at odds over the ground-water program. Independent scientists in 1998 said the department's proposed monitoring plan would fail to track contaminated water leaving the site.

Two years ago Guinn sought an additional $40 million for the ground-water tracking program alone. Congress did not approve the additional funds.

Nevada's agreement is the fourth reached under the Energy Department's accelerated cleanup program. The department has signed agreements at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington, Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.