Waste Cleanup: Implications of Compliance Agreements on DOE's Cleanup Program
Abstract
This report discusses compliance agreements that affect the Department of Energy's (DOE) cleanup program. Compliance agreements are legally enforceable documents between DOE and its regulators, specifying cleanup activities and milestones that DOE has agreed to achieve. DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for much of the actual cleanup activity, which is carried out primarily under two federal laws-the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (RCRA). Besides DOE, other parties to the agreements include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state agencies that have jurisdiction over environmental and health issues. Over the years, these compliance agreements have been used to implement much of the cleanup activity at DOE sites. In February 2002, the Secretary of Energy proposed a new initiative to refocus DOE's cleanup program by accelerating risk reduction at the sites. Questions have been raised about the relationship of this initiative to the schedules outlined in compliance agreements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 19, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404394
Entities
People
- Gary L. Jones
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office