By John Stang Herald staff writer Hanford budget shortfalls in the next several years may shortchange one of the nation's biggest cleanup projects and cost jobs. These include an undetermined shortage in meeting legal obligations when the fiscal 2001 budget is calculated. The issues were discussed Thursday at the Hanford Advisory Board meeting in Kennewick.
Regulators are unhappy over how some cleanup programs appear fixed financially.
But that construction funding is be to revived in a later year. And Congress must approve the shift. But federal and state officials gave mixed signals on the prospects of that happening. If the shift does not occur, the Department of Energy might have to look at some permanent or temporary layoffs - although it will try to avoid that measure, according to a Monday memo from DOE's acting Hanford Manager Jim Hall to employees. Jon Peschong, director of DOE's management systems office, voiced optimism Thursday that shift will be approved.