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Idaho To Fine Feds Thousands Per Day For Missing Nuclear Waste Deadline

State officials say they plan to fine the federal government $3,600 per day for missing a deadline to remove nuclear waste from a southeast Idaho nuclear facility.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality says the U.S. Department of Energy missed a Dec. 31 deadline to ship nuclear waste out of the Idaho National Laboratory.

Officials tell the Post Register that three tanks containing radioactive liquid are no longer supposed to be used for waste storage due to Resource Conservation Recovery Act regulations.

But officials say a special facility to treat the liquid waste and turn it into powder has had numerous problems trying to get past the testing phase.

State officials say the fines will be retroactive to Jan. 1.

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