Idaho to Fine Feds for Overdue Nuclear Waste Disposal

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — State officials say they plan to fine the federal government $3,600 a day for missing a deadline to remove 900,000 gallons of liquid nuclear waste from a southeast Idaho nuclear facility.

The state Department of Environmental Quality says the U.S. Department of Energy missed its Dec. 31 deadline to ship radioactive waste out of the Idaho National Laboratory. Idaho officials tell the Post Register that three 50-year-old tanks are no longer supposed to be used for storage under federal laws governing hazardous waste.

They say fines will increase to $6,000 a day if the waste isn't gone by July 1. Energy Department spokeswoman Danielle Miller says the agency is reviewing the violation notice. The newspaper reports that a facility to treat the waste has had problems getting past the testing phase.