AG Drew Edmondson asks NRC for hearing on decommissioning plan at Muskogee

<br>(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a hearing on a plan to clean up contamination a former rare metal plant at Muskogee. <br><br>Edmondson

Tuesday, June 17th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a hearing on a plan to clean up contamination a former rare metal plant at Muskogee.

Edmondson says a cleanup plan proposed by Fansteel Incorporated at its former plant is inaccurate, insufficient and dangerous to the public's health, safety and welfare. He says Fansteel originally estimated the cost of cleanup at $57-million, but reduced the estimate to just less than $26.5-million after filing for bankruptcy.

Fansteel produced the metals tantalum and columbium from 1958 until 1989. Edmondson says the operation contaminated the soil and water with materials including uranium, arsenic, ammonia and chromium.

Edmondson also calls the site a scar on the state's landscape and says it must be cleaned up properly.