WA to US: Hanford plan’s a no-go
OLYMPIA -- Washington is rejecting the U.S. Energy Department's latest plan for the cleanup of leaking tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
In a letter today to the Justice Department, Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the proposal DOE made last moth to amend the 2010 plan on cleaning up the waste is too vague. The Energy Department has fallen behind on its timetable to clean up waste left over from years of production for the nation's nuclear weapons, and came up with a revision.
"Energy's proposal lacks sufficient specificity, accountability and enforceability," Inslee said.
The state has its own plan, which it considers more specific. If DOE rejects Washington's plan -- which could happen later today -- the state could go to "dispute resolution," which involves a 40-day period of negotiations. If there's no agreement there, the state could go to federal court and ask a judge to order the department to use the state's plan.
