Nuclear Weapons Complex: Establishing a National Risk-Based Strategy for
Cleanup (Testimony, 03/06/95, GAO/T-RCED-95-120).

From the 1940s, when the United States began to develop nuclear weapons,
through the late 1980s, the government gave little attention to the
environmental consequences of its activities. As a result, many Energy
Department (DOE) sites are now contaminated with radioactive and
hazardous wastes, and DOE faces the largest, most, complex cleanup in
the country--estimated to cost up to $1 trillion.  Although DOE received
more than $23 billion between 1989 and 1993 to clean up contamination at
the nuclear weapons complex, the agency has yet to actually complete the
cleanup of a major facility.  DOE's progress has been impeded by
unrealistic agreements with the Environmental Protection Agency and the
states to bring the facilities into compliance with federal
environmental laws.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-RCED-95-120
     TITLE:  Nuclear Weapons Complex: Establishing a National Risk-Based 
             Strategy for Cleanup
      DATE:  03/06/95
   SUBJECT:  Environmental monitoring
             Nuclear waste disposal
             Nuclear waste management
             Pollution control
             Cost control
             Future budget projections
             Nuclear weapons plants
             Proposed legislation
             Prioritizing
             Hazardous substances
IDENTIFIER:  Department of Energy Risk Management Act of 1995
             DOE Environmental Management Program
             DOE Tank Waste Remediation System Program
             
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