"This contract award announcement is months overdue, and it is only for five years. The proposal calls for just one-eighth of the tailings pile to be moved by 2011," he said. "That's not acceptable, given the hazard posed by the location of the project. I expect a much more expeditious performance, including meeting my completion deadline of 2019."

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee that will write its version of the bill, has also been pressing the department to get a better handle on the timeline and costs.

"I am very encouraged that a contractor has finally been selected," Bennett said in a statement. "I made it clear to DOE that 21 years was an unacceptable timetable for cleanup, and I'll continue to make sure this process moves forward expeditiously."

At a subcommittee hearing in March, Bennett grilled James A. Rispoli, the department's assistant secretary of energy for environmental management on the issue.

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E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com