Audit: South Carolina radioactive waste cleanup will cost $1.5 billion more than expected

SC radioactive waste program runs $1.5B over plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal audit shows that the cost of cleaning up millions of gallons of radioactive waste at a South Carolina facility will cost almost $1.5 billion more than expected.

The report released Tuesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office finds that the U.S. Department of Energy underestimated the true costs of cleaning up the Savannah River Site in its $3.2 billion bid.

The GAO says the department underestimated labor costs by up to 70 percent and did not account for numerous other expenses.

The 310-square-mile site on the Georgia-South Carolina state line once produced tritium and plutonium for nuclear weapons.

In the early 1990s, the Energy Department and environmental officials agreed to clean and close underground tanks holding 37 millions gallons of waste.

Online:

GAO report: www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-816

Savannah River Site: www.srs.gov/general/srs-home.html

Savannah River Remediation: srremediation.com/