Laka Foundation

Publication Laka-library:
Cut-rate cleanup: how the DOE budget gambles with the environment (1989)

AuthorR.Alvarez, V.Smith
Date1989
Classification 3.01.4.10/09 (UNITED STATES - WASTE - GENERAL)
Front

From the publication:

I. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The fiscal year 1988 Congressional Budget Request by the U.S. Department of 
Energy's Atomic Defense Program represents a growing and dangerous conflict 
between nuclear weapons production and protection of the human environment.
In Fiscal year 1988, the nuclear weapons program is asking for $8.05 billion or 
62 percent of the total amount of $13.06 billion in DOE's Congressional budget 
request. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) the DOE nuclear 
weapons program is "potentially one of the more dangerous industrial operations
in the world." Yet, the basic thrust of DOE's FY 1988 budget is to shore-up 
obsolete production facilities while paying minimal attention to occupational 
risks, environmental protection and public safety.

The DOE nuclear weapons complex is made up of numerous ultrahazardous 
facilities that are decades old. Because the U.S. nuclear weapons program operates 
in secrecy and is self-regulating, it has never been subject to the same kinds of 
outside pressures for improvements as the commercial nuclear industry. This 
situation has resulted in the DOE being isolated from the mainstream of 
environment, health and safety. Thus, in the past few years:

* Official government reviews have concluded that DOE's weapons production
facilities are being compromised by age and fatigue posing significant 
environmental, safety and health risks.

* Health studies supported by DOE indicate that the DOE nuclear workforce is
experiencing significant increases in the risk of contracting cancers and other 
diseases.

* The policy, dating back to World War II of dumping massive amounts of
radioactive and hazardous materials into the soils at DOE sites has created 
severe contamination problems that will remain for millennia.

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