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The Justice Department planned to seek a temporary restraining order Wednesday to keep the initiative from becoming law, The Associated Press learned from a government official familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The government also planned to challenge the constitutionality of the initiative on the grounds it violates federal laws governing nuclear waste and interstate commerce, the official said.
The 586-square-mile Hanford reservation was created in World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. It remains the most contaminated site in the nation, with cleanup costs expected to total $50 billion to $60 billion.
At issue are the federal government's plans for disposing of waste from World War II and Cold War-era nuclear weapons production nationwide. The Energy Department chose Hanford to dispose of some mildly radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste, which is laced with chemicals.
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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=Hanford%20Initiative
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