South Carolina Holds Off on Fines over SRS Salt Waste Processing Facility

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) is backing off on fining the Department of Energy more than $150 million for not meeting the Oct. 31, 2015, state deadline to begin operations at the Savannah River Site’s Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). But SCDHEC said it reserves the right to enforce the penalties "to the fullest extent." Penalties would include $105,000 a day dating to an earlier missed deadline during the ongoing construction phase of the facility. That missed milestone was set for Sept. 30, 2011. The two agencies agreed to hold off on taking action until Dec. 18 of this year. Until then, SCDHEC said it will be in talks with the Department of Energy to establish new treatment capacities, schedules, and funding commitments. The Department of Energy reported that it appreciates the opportunity to resolve the issue.

 

SCDHEC sent an Oct. 29 letter to DOE SRS Manager Jack Craig stating the department is delinquent in meeting deadlines of the SRS Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility Permit. The permit requires operation of SWPF by Oct. 31, closure of 20 liquid waste tanks by 2020, and treatment of all high-level waste by 2028. The state agency said it is not waiving authority to pursue the multimillion-dollar fines. SRS Watch Director Tom Clements is calling for SCHDEC to begin initiating fines on Dec. 18. "In order to demonstrate to the people of South Carolina that DOE can’t dodge legally established ‘clean-up’ milestones because of DOE project mismanagement and cost overruns, SCDHEC should begin levying the legally established fines against DOE," Clements said.