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EMD-78-90 1 (1978-06-20)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaaxkp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: DCCUMENT RESUME 06233 - fB1846862 1 The Uranium Kill Tailings CleanupL Federal Leadership at Last? EMD-78-90; B-164052. June 20, 1978. 25 pp. + 2 appendices (14 pp.). Report to Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman, ouse Coujaittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: Energy avC Power Subcommittee; by Robert F. Keller, Acting Comptroller General. Issue Area: Energy: Making Nuclear Fission a Sutstantial EP rgy Source (1608). Contact: Enerq7 and Minerals Div. Budget Function: Natural Resources, Envirormeat, and Energy: Energy (305). Orqanization Concerned: Department of Energy; Envircnmental Protection Agency; Nuclear Regulatory commissica. Conqressional Relevance: 1cuse Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: Energy and Power Sutccamittee; House Committee on Sclence and Technolcgy; Serate Committee on Interior and Insular Aifairs. Rep. John D. Dingell. Authority: Residual Radiouctive Materials Act cf 1978; R.R. 12535 (95th Conq.). Atomic Energy Act Cf 1954. Fesource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. Clean Air Act of 1970. P.L. 95-236. P.L. 92-314. 5 U.S.C. 553. H.R. 11367 (93rd Conq.) . S. 2566 (93rd Cong.). The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed legislation that would allow it to enter into cooperative agreements with various States to clean up residual radicactive materials called uranium mill tailings at 22 inactive uraniut mills. About 25 million tons of mill. tailings have accumulated at these sites since the 1940's. Under the proposed legislaticn, the Federal Government uould pay up to 75% of the cost of the jcint Frcgram and the States would ccntribut2 the reEt. findings/Conclusions: Advantages of the proposed program include: reducing a public health hazdrd, taking a step toward resolving problems of radioactive waste disposal, and imprcving the depressed value of land on or near which the tailings are located. Disadvantages include its estimated cost of up to Sl6 aillicn, the precedent for the Federal Governaent to pay fox cleaning tp other nuclear facilities, and the lack of full development of neded technology. The proposed legislaticn cculd accomplish its obiectives, but the following areas require clarification: the legislation does not put a time limit cn States' pprticipation, it excludes some sites from the cleanup program, some sites do not have to be owned by the State or federal Government and this could result in a future health hazard, the allocation of costs among qovernnents is not clearly defined, there are no requirements for DOE progress reports to the Ccngress nor for GAO access to all pertinent documents, and unlimited Federal funding -is authorized. In an existing cleanup &rogran at Grand Junction, Colorado. only half of the project is finished after 6

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