But Dr. Klein, a former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, added, "I don't think the national labs are focused on forward-thinking research and development like they were in the past; they're more concerned with compliance and cleanup issues".
Moreover the performed analysis showed that while for the general public the main barriers to post-industrial redevelopment are the potential for biological, physical and chemical impacts, and the uncertainty about liability and cleanup issues; for experts the main barriers are the high redevelopment costs; and the challenges in obtaining financial support.
Exhaust from gasoline-fired electricity generators and diesel vehicles involved in the cleanup are another issue that should be monitored over time, they say.
The laboratory director, John H. Marburger, said the faster cleanup "gets an issue off our backs that I think has been hampering us from making progress with the community and with our many constituents".
The central team at World Cleanup does not issue top-down edicts; it relies on local groups to direct their litter-blitzes in a way that suits conditions (literally) on the ground, tapping into whatever mix of civic pride, patriotism or other sentiment works best.
In the meantime, the E.C.B. and the banking authority — which are working on different aspects of the cleanup — have many issues to clarify.
The Superfund law, which is designed to address the nation's worst pollution cases, gives the E.P.A. the authority to issue unilateral cleanup orders, paid for by the responsible parties.
The on-scene coordinator for the E.P.A., Jeff Bechtel, who said the agency would issue its cleanup decision within the next few weeks, added that he thought the main issue would be the unique setting -- trying to make a place that looks pristine into one that actually is.
If the current laboratory administration at Brookhaven feels that this cleanup will get an issue off their backs, they don't understand people who refuse to be aware that mankind has been living with natural radioactivity for tens of thousands of years, inhaling carbon dioxide containing natural radiocarbon and eating bananas containing the natural radioactive isotope of potassium.
The cleanup also raises the issue of where the large amounts of radioactive waste will be stored.
