Cleanup Efforts at Energy Dept. Nuclear Sites Assailed

Despite billions spent so far, current technology is not up to the job of cleaning contaminated soil and water at the Energy Department’s nuclear weapon sites, a scientific advisory panel reported Thursday.

The technology that often is used to clean up sites “is simply ineffective and unable to accomplish the massive job that needs to be done,” said C. Herb Ward, chairman of the National Research Council committee that studied the issue.

“That means DOE’s cleanup efforts won’t meet federal and state regulatory standards unless the agency shifts its focus to both developing and implementing new methods,” Ward, a professor of environmental science at Rice University in Houston, said in a statement.

The department agreed with the “general findings” and intends to use them “to improve our technology development efforts,” James M. Owendoff, acting assistant Energy secretary for environmental management, said in a statement.

“We view this report as part of our ongoing process to improve our cleanup efforts, particularly with respect to protecting water resources,” he said.

The department has spent between $5.6 billion and $7.2 billion per year on environmental management over the last several years, the report said.

The scientific committee noted that the agency in the Energy Department that is responsible for developing innovative cleanup technologies, the Surface Contaminants Focus Area, had its budget cut from $82.1 million in 1994 to $14.7 million last year.

The budget rose to $25 million this year, but the committee said it is not enough to pay for a significant number of field tests of cleanup technologies.