State Rejects DOE Request to Extend Savannah River Tank Closure Dates

In a move that could lead to fines for the Department of Energy, South Carolina on Friday rejected the Department’s request to extend the closure dates for two high level waste tanks at the Savannah River Site. After DOE cut requested funds for Savannah River tank closure, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control warned DOE that it could face hefty fines for missed milestones. South Carolina “will fully exercise its authorities for penalty assessment if satisfactory commitment to the high level waste schedule is not reached,” SCDHEC said in a letter to DOE Friday.

 

Citing technical and funding issues, DOE requested an extension of the closure dates for Tanks 12H and 16H from September 2013 to December 2016. However, the state did not believe any technical issues were cause for an extension, and stated that DOE did not make timely efforts to obtain necessary funds. SCDHEC only agreed to a 27-day extension to make up for last year’s government shutdown. “The liquid radioactive and toxic waste in aging tanks at Savannah River Site is currently one of the greatest environmental threats to the State of South Carolina,” SCDHEC said in a statement Friday. “By not accepting the DOE’s request to extend the closure date for two tanks, we are holding the agency accountable to its responsibility of meeting its timeline and supporting risk reduction.”