Cost of shipping super-heavy uranium canisters goes up
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September13, 2005
OAK RIDGE (AP) -- You know what the high cost of gasoline has done to your commute. Pity the Energy Department.
Thousands of canisters of slightly radioactive gas left over from uranium enrichment are being shipped from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Ohio. The ten- to 14-ton containers must be trucked one at a time on vehicles that get about five miles per gallon. About 4,500 of the containers have already been shipped to Piketon, Ohio, where the gas is processed into a more stable form and stored. Another 1,500 must be moved. The current contract was negotiated when diesel fuel was just over $2.20 per gallon. Last week's price was more than $2.84. Federal contractor Bechtel Jacobs is paying the transportation subcontractor the difference in fuel cost. Contractor spokesman Dennis Hill says the amount of increased cost can't be calculated. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
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