Last week the Department of Energy acknowledged it will most likely miss three deadlines laid out in a 2010 legal settlement.
"The Department of Energy notified the states of Washington and Oregon that a serious risk has arisen that the department may be unable to meet the consent decree milestone for completing hot commissioning of the low activity waste facility and two related milestones," read a brief DOE announcement.
Officials from Washington's Department of Ecology described the news as disappointing, if not surprising. A statement from the state agency said it now considers all deadlines related to the site's Waste Treatment Plant through 2022 to be at risk. With that project stalled, the DOE issued a framework last month for expediting waste treatment in the face of WTP delays.
While not outlining explicitly what moves the state is considering in response, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a statement saying, "Our office will continue to work diligently to provide our state clients with every legal option available to protect the health and safety of Washington residents.”