THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501140194
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
North Carolina got less than half the additional money it requested Friday to continue testing at a controversial site for a low-level radioactive waste dump.
The Southeast Compact Commission, which dispenses money and oversees disposal for eight southeastern states, gave the North Carolina Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Authority $5.4 million. The authority had requested $13 million, most of which would be paid to Chem-Nuclear Systems for more evaluations of a site for the disposal facility in Wake County.
That money didn't come without some misgivings by several commission members.
``How can we be so far off from the initial estimate?'' asked state Sen. Charles Hawkins, a Virginia representative on the commission. Hawkins offered a motion to give the commission only $3 million in additional funding, but later agreed to vote for the $5.4 million.
``Don't we have an obligation to ask questions of Chem-Nuclear?'' Hawkins asked. ``We write the check.
``People are going to start wondering where we are going and what we are doing. We need to send a message that there needs to be some accountability.''
Commission members from Tennessee also expressed concern with expenditures and voted against allowing the additional funds, as did Virginia member Peter Schmidt.
``We're moving ahead without knowing if we can close on this site,'' said commissioner Michael Mobley of Tennessee.
The money will get the state through the critical period of assessing the site and answering questions posed by state regulators after Chem-Nuclear applied for a license to operate the dump, said John MacMillan, executive director of the North Carolina authority.
Commissioners said they want to know at some point when North Carolina will know if the site is suitable. MacMillan said that could be in September.
Original estimates to build the facility were about $40 million. The current estimate to obtain a license is about $112 million and another estimated $65 million to build the dump.
The commission represents Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The current disposal site at Barnwell, S.C., will close at the end of 1995, forcing low-level waste generators to store waste on their own property.
Low-level radioactive wastes range from protective clothing worn by nuclear plant workers to equipment used to change fuel rods at nuclear power plants. The actual rods are considered high-level waste.
MacMillan said that if the Wake County site is ultimately approved by state regulators, the earliest a facility could open would be the summer of 1997, but a more realistic schedule would be the summer of 1998. by CNB