CLEANUP WILL TAKE A CENTURY

It will cost at least $230 billion to clean up 80 contaminated nuclear weapons production sites in 30 states during the next century, according to a federal Energy Department study released today. Even after the cleanup is completed (possibly as late as 2070), hundreds of acres of severely contaminated property may still have to be cordoned off indefinitely, according to the study, which said maintaining such sites could cost $75 million a year. The study further concedes that if the cleanup program is not reformed to eliminate inefficiency and waste, the overall price tag could skyrocket to $350 billion. Even at that,TIME Denver bureau chief Richard Woodburysays the dollar figures look like a "lowball estimate" because the government has yet to decide exactly how it will clean up a good amount of the waste. "Are they going to bury it or are they going to truck it to states that will take it?" asks Woodbury, pointing out that "nobody wants it at the moment."