It looks like they are doing it in a fast-track way. And the state is wondering how much Bechtel's and DOE's planning effort will consider information from the tribes and other Hanford interests - and how it will incorporate that into the planning, Goswami said. Meanwhile, an independent panel of scientific experts is being set up to analyze and double-check Bechtel's and DOE's planning and coordination efforts. It is modeled after a similar panel used to analyze subterranean contamination at central Hanford's SX Tank Farm. Not only are there plenty of blank pieces in Hanford's subterranean puzzle, but there also are unresolved questions on where the planning boundaries should be drawn.
Costs are another item planners have yet to get a grasp on.
Since Hanford's existing ground water projects are scattered among several programs and several companies, it is difficult to pin down what the site's total expenses and budget needs are for all the underground contamination programs. Interviews with Holten, Graham and other Hanford officials, scientists and observers show an array of programs and issues that need study and coordination before the puzzle pieces can be fitted into a solution. Many in Hanford circles want an expanded follow-up study in the master plan. DOE and Bechtel are considering that request, Holten and Graham said. The roughly 800 ground water monitoring wells scattered from central Hanford to the Columbia river are a skimpy information provider.