FEDERAL OFFICIALS NOW SAY IT MAY BE THREE YEARS OR MORE BEFORE THE WIPP NUCLEAR FACILITY IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO CAN REOPEN. IT WAS SHUT DOWN FOLLOWING A RADIATION LEAK LAST FEBRUARY. DON HANCOCK WITH THE WATCHDOG GROUP SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER IN ALBUQUERQUE SAYS HE NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D BE ABLE TO REOPEN WITHIN TWO YEARS AS WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
HANCOCK SAYS THE DOE AND THEIR CONTRACTOR HAVEN'T DECIDED YET WHAT THEY'LL NEED TO DO TO GET IT BACK INTO FULL OPERATION.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY IT COULD COST MORE THAN HALF-A-BILLION DOLLARS IF A NEW VENTILATION SYSTEM IS NEEDED AT WIPP.
