And another deadline went on the endangered list Wednesday. One DOE budget scenario would further delay completion of Hanford's waste glassification plant, pushing it from 2011 to 2015. Members of two HAB committees complained at a budget briefing that DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., ignored the state with impunity despite state Attorney General Christine Gregoire's order that her staff research a possible lawsuit. The suit would claim DOE has violated waste glassification deadlines in the Tri-Party Agreement, the legal pact governing Hanford cleanup. They don't care about being sued.
Delays lead to needing more money later on.
We're getting the same old crap, maybe for the fifth time. Knight was referring to other glassification delays over the past 12 years. Cheryl Reid, a state attorney general's spokeswoman, said legal research is under way on a lawsuit over budget shortfalls and delays. We don't want to go into court without knowing exactly what we're arguing. Reid speculated the state might wait until July to sue, giving DOE a chance to increase Hanford's budget to meet obligations.