United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-06-22 monographic deposited born digital 33 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-761 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761 P0b002ee1803a0c70 f:d07761 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761 GAO-07-761 Cost analysis Environmental cleanups Environmental monitoring Federal regulations Hazardous wastes Laboratories Nuclear waste disposal Radioactive waste disposal Waste management Cost estimates Other Written Product A71228 Since the 1940s, the development of nuclear weapons technologies has generated transuranic wastes--materials contaminated by certain man-made radioactive elements. These wastes can remain dangerous for thousands of years. Until 1970, the Department of Energy's (DOE) predecessors buried these wastes in shallow pits and trenches. Today, state officials and communities near DOE's major disposal sites have expressed concerns that such wastes might contaminate important ground and surface water resources. GAO was asked to (1) determine the legal requirements and policies affecting DOE's efforts to address transuranic wastes buried before 1970, (2) determine what DOE is doing to address sites where these transuranic wastes are buried, and (3) assess the reliability of DOE's estimated costs to address these sites. We met with federal and state officials at five DOE sites containing buried transuranic wastes, reviewed environmental laws and guidance, and obtained buried waste cleanup cost estimates from each site. In commenting on this report, DOE generally agreed with our findings, and provided some clarifying comments. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761.pdf GAO-07-761 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-761 Other Written Product GAO-07-761; Nuclear Waste: Plans for Addressing Most Buried Transuranic Wastes Are Not Final, and Preliminary Cost Estimates Will Likely Increase; Cost analysis Environmental cleanups Environmental monitoring Federal regulations Hazardous wastes Laboratories Nuclear waste disposal Radioactive waste disposal Waste management Cost estimates Volume 93 Page 1259 93 Stat. 1259 Volume 106 Page 4777 Volume 106 Page 4777-79 106 Stat. 4777 106 Stat. 4777-79 Volume 110 Page 2851 110 Stat. 2851 Public Law 96-164 Public Law 102-579 Public Law 104-201