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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Audit: DOE facility being constructed in Idaho problem-plagued, over budget

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A recent audit found significant problems with the federally-managed nuclear waste treatment plant west of Idaho Falls. The Post Register reports (http://bit.ly/1qTVAfs ) that the audit outlined cost overruns, a lack of rigorous testing and other management issues at the Department of Energy facility known as the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. The DOE Office of the Inspector General's report says the project's construction costs have exceeded the $571 million cap set in 2010 and will likely continue to accrue. The total taxpayer costs could reach $800 million or more before the plant is fully operational. The plant is supposed to be running by the end of September under an extended deadline the DOE negotiated last year; it’s supposed to process liquid radioactive waste that’s now been stored underground for more than 50 years in single-walled steel tanks, located over Idaho’s biggest aquifer. A DOE spokeswoman says the department's priority is to ensure safety before the plant begins operations.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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