emissions market, or a system without such caps. Under a capped system, power utilities are assigned a specific limit on NOx emissions from a specific amount of NO^ emissions allowed in the state. In a no-cap system, the utilities would base their trading on an average emission limit rather than a spe-
cific numerical limit. The report recommends that a joint state/EPA workgroup be formed to evaluate design features for a market trading system. To control mobile source emissions, OTAG recommended the mandatory sale of cleaner burning reformulated gasoline in all
OTAG states and supported a national program to sell low-emission vehicles. The group also proposed that by 1999, EPA evaluate emission benefits and other effects of octane adjustments on current technology diesel engines and develop emission standards. —VINCENT LECLAIR
"Accelerated" Department of Energy cleanup plan draws criticism The Department of Energy plans to further tighten its belt and demand greater productivity to accelerate cleanup of the nation's former nuclear weapons complex, according to a DOE draft report released for public comment on June 12. The discussion draft is the first public airing of DOE's national "2006 Plan," formerly known as the "Ten-Year Plan." In June 1996, faced with shrinking budgets and an outcry over total cleanup costs estimated at more man $200 billion, DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) directed site managers to establish plans to clean up and close their sites by 2006, if possible {ES&T, March h197, 134A). The discussion draft is based on these site reports and presents EM's preferred cleanup strategy. Comments on the discussion document will be used to produce a revised plan due later mis The discussion draft evaluates cleanup goals based on stable EM funding of at least $5.5 billion a year. Along with a projected cumulative 12% improvement in productivity by 2006, EM estimates that it can complete cleanup at most of its sites. But even with this accelerated effort, almost 50% of the work at sites, including Hanford, Wash.; Savannah River, Ga.; Oak Ridge, Term.; and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, would still remain after 2006. Performance improvements, according to the draft, can be achieved by integrating work across sites, improving competitive contracting methods, and deploying innovative technology. But a coalition of nuclear waste watchdog groups is calling the EM strategy "a sham that won't work." "EM can't deliver these cleanups because their proposals are based on false assumptions," said Military Production
Network (MPN) spokesperson Bob Schaeffer. According to MPN, the plan is based on unjustified optimism about the savings generated by competitive contracting methods and the acceptance of
DOE "can't deliver these cleanups because their proposals are based on false assumptions." —Bob Schaeffer, Military Production Network environmental standards that are weaker than those required by current agreements. Although EM has become more efficient in the past few years, a recent appraisal suggests that further improvements are
possible. In 1996, a DOE-commissioned independent analysis concluded that the EM waste management program was 35-40% less efficient than such programs in the private sector and mat the environmental restoration program was 25% less efficient than comparable private-sector programs. According to DOE sources, EM is pushing hard to accelerate cleanups. "The main impact [of the 2006 Plan] appears to be the scaling back of a lot of work because of funding and time constraints," said a veteran DOE manager involved in EM projects. "At the bigger sites, capping and land-use restrictions are taking the place of soil excavations. There is a lot of pressure to meet these targets. People are being told to do it in this time frame or else they'll find another way to do it " REBECCA RENNER
TECHNOLOGY
Canada "verifies" first environmental technologies Soil treatment systems, toxicity tests, and a knowledge-based computer system for remediation projects are among the first environmental technologies to win recognition in Canada's new Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program. The nine technologies were announced at the annual meeting of the Air & Waste Management Association in Toronto on June 10. Patterned closely after California's verification program, which started in 1995 [ES&T, Feebuary 1996, 70A)) ,he program verifies manufacturers' claims, using third-party evaluators to assess performance data. The program considers products in the areas of pollution prevention, control, remediation, monitoring, conservation, software, emergency response, and waste management. Verified technologies can use the ETV logo in promotions. The nine technologies were assessed during the pilot stage of the program, which was officially launched in April. Four other products dropped out of the verification process, said Dave Renshaw, technical director of ETV Canada, Inc., a private company that operates the program under contract for Environment Canada and Industry Canada. Canada is currently working with EPA and the California EPA to develop reciprocity agreements between verification programs. For more information on the program, call (613) 247-1900, ext. 228.
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