Department of Energy fined for nuclear waste
On Thursday the Department of Energy was facing pricey fines after failing to remove nuclear waste from the Idaho National Laboratory by its Dec. 31 deadline.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will charge the DOE $1,200 each day for each of the three tanks filled with the toxic waste, and $6,000 after July 1, for the total of all three of the tanks.
DEQ Hazardous Waste Compliance Manager Natalie Clough said they are concerned about the DOE treating it in a timely manner because liquid waste poses more of a risk to human health than solid waste.
“We take into account the volume of the waste, and there is currently about 850,000 gallons of liquid waste being held in those three tanks,” Clough said. “It has both radioactive and hazardous properties and if those tanks were to leak, the waste could migrate to the soil and eventually the aquifer.”
She said the biggest concern is that the waste is acidic and can be corrosive to the tanks. But, the good news is that they aren’t leaking at this time.
“The DOE has constructed a treatment facility and they are currently testing that facility. They aren’t ready to treat the waste just yet but we are hopeful by the end of this week they will complete the first phase of testing,” she added.
At this facility, the liquid waste will turn into its solid form so it will be safer and easier to store in stainless-steel bins and once again inside concrete vaults, but this time above ground. Once a national repository opens, they will be able to transfer the material.
Beatrice Brailsford with the Snake River Alliance said the organization is supporting the DEQ’s efforts to hold the DOE accountable since they are worried radiation could seep into the environment.
“We’re looking at two problems, here,” Brailsford said. “The first is that liquid waste held in those tanks are very dangerous and very difficult to manage. The second, is that the DOE is building this facility as the first of its kind so you wind-up with a combination of uncertainty.”
Brailsford said the alliance supports the efforts being made, but on the other hand, wants to make sure there is certainty behind the facility before moving forward.
