Hanford plant won't face $100 million more in cuts

YAKIMA — Congress on Monday elected not to reduce funding by an additional $100 million for a waste-treatment plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation, according to U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, whose district includes the south-central Washington site.

The funding reduction, proposed as part of cuts to help pay for Hurricane Katrina relief, was widely criticized by officials in Washington state.

The Hanford site is the nation's most contaminated nuclear site, with cleanup managed by the U.S. Department of Energy.

A vitrification plant under construction has long been considered the cornerstone of Hanford cleanup. The plant will convert millions of gallons of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks into glasslike logs for permanent disposal in a nuclear-waste repository.

However, the project has been mired in delays and cost overruns for years. The Energy Department, which manages Hanford cleanup, halted construction on large portions of the plant earlier this year amid new seismic concerns and skyrocketing costs.

The Bush administration cited those concerns in its $626 million budget request for the plant for 2006, down from $690 million in previous years. A House-Senate budget committee reduced that amount by $100 million more last month, to $526 million.

In addition, the Bush administration had proposed tapping the 2005 budget for $100 million, money that was not spent but was intended to be banked for construction costs in later years. That proposal was part of a $2.3 billion package of cuts to help pay for hurricane relief.

Gov. Christine Gregoire threatened to sue if the additional reductions were approved, calling them a clear violation of the federal government's obligations.

Gregoire said she was pleased with the news but still disappointed with the direction the project has taken.