EPA alleges Energy Department mishandled radioactive, hazardous waste

The U.S. Department of Energy will pay a $136,000 fine as part of a settlement for allegedly mishandling waste from plutonium production at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state.

The facility that produced the plutonium for the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, which essentially ended World War II, is considered the most contaminated nuclear site in the United States.

The last reactor shut down in 1987 and cleanup began two years later. The effort continues today and could take until 2070.

In addition to the fine, the DOE agreed to improve waste handling practices in its settlement with the U.S. EPA. The DOE allegedly operated several dangerous waste storage units without proper permit authorization and placed waste in a landfill before treating it.

Energy contractors for the DOE treated the waste after placement, which is a violation of existing dangerous waste regulations, the EPA alleged. The mishandled waste consisted of contaminated glove boxes, lab equipment and concrete, Northwest Public Radio reported.

EPA officials have said the fine is relatively small so more money can go toward addressing the allegations. The settlement agreement also includes commitments by the DOE to make sure waste storage units are properly managed, according to Ed Kowalski, director of the EPA's Office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle.

"When handling mixed (nuclear and hazardous) waste, there's no such thing as being 'too careful'. Strict compliance with all dangerous waste requirements is the only acceptable path here," Kowalski said in a statement.

Inspectors with the EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center based their allegations on records from the 1980s to 2011. The inspectors focused on the facility's Solid Waste Operational Complex, where radioactive and dangerous wastes are stored and processed prior to shipment to other locations for treatment and disposal.

As part of the agreement, the DOE will close eight dangerous waste storage units that the EPA says didn't have proper authorization under the state-issued permit. Closure plans will be submitted through a permit modification request.

The DOE also will close two other inactive dangerous waste storage units. In addition, the agency agrees to treat dangerous waste before disposal as required by state and federal regulations.

The DOE disagrees with the EPA's findings but the agency doesn't want a drawn-out legal battle over what boils down to a permit dispute. Spokesman Cameron Hardy said the department would rather move forward with the cleanup, NPR Northwest reported.

The fine will be paid to the U.S. Treasury.

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