Cleanup attempts at Hanford

The U.S. government is making its fourth attempt to clean up radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington. The three previous attempts were mired in missteps.

First attempt: 1989-1991

1989: The Department of Energy (DOE) decides to clean up 54 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in 177 underground tanks — some of them leaking — by solidifying waste in some of the tanks, but postponing a decision on the rest until 2003.

1991: DOE abandons the plan because it won't meet environmental standards.

Spent: $23 million.

Second attempt: 1991-1993

1991: DOE decides to use a process called vitrification to turn waste in the tanks into glass.

1993: The department abandons the plan, concluding the vitrification plant is too small to treat the waste fast enough.

Spent: $418 million.

Third attempt: 1995-2000

1995: DOE tries to revive cleanup by privatizing it, turning over the project to British Nuclear Fuels in an arrangement to buy the final, processed waste from the company.

2000: The department cancels the contract when the estimated price tag rises from $3.2 billion to more than $15 billion.

Spent: $300 million.

Fourth attempt: 2000-present

2000: DOE signs a $4.3 billion contract with Bechtel National to finish the vitrification plant.

2002: The department accelerates the construction schedule to complete the project by 2011 and agrees to increase the contract to $5.8 billion.

2005: Cost could actually reach $9.65 billion and not be finished until 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns. DOE halts part of the construction amid concerns about earthquake safety and cost overruns.

Spent: $3 billion so far.

Total spent

1989-present: $3.74 billion.

Sources: U.S. Government Accountability Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy