The Department of Energy began its last evaluation of Hanford's K Basins project Monday -- the last hurdle before workers can actually remove fuel from the basins.

That final review began three days later than DOE had hoped. And it is still a question whether the project will make its Thursday deadline, or miss it by a few days.

However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not view a late start of a few days as a problem. The project would have to have serious problems as 2001 arrives before the EPA would start considering enforcement actions, said Doug Sherwood, the EPA's Hanford site manager.

The EPA's top priority is to have a well-established system in place to move fuel continuously until July 31, 2004, Sherwood said. That date is the legal deadline to finish moving fuel.

The K Basins are two indoor, water-filled, leak-prone pools that hold 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel 400 yards from the Columbia River.

Hanford's master plan is to put the fuel inside special containers, move them from the basins, suck all moisture from the containers, fill them with helium to prevent radioactive combustion problems, then put the fuel in a huge underground vault in central Hanford.

Thursday is the Tri-Party Agreement's deadline to start moving fuel from the K West Basin. When that happens, Hanford will have switched from preparing to actually cleaning up its second-worst environmental problem. Hanford's underground tanks filled with radioactive wastes are considered the worst problem.

DOE and Fluor have tested and approved the project's capabilities to remove fuel from the K West Basin, transport it and store it in the vault.

The last unapproved portion is the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility, which removes moisture from the special canisters.

At 2:30 a.m. Nov. 21, Fluor finished its evaluation of the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility. And DOE originally hoped to start its final review Friday.

However, Fluor's fix-it work from its own evaluation was not finished and formally forwarded to DOE until 6 p.m. Friday, said Phil Loscoe, DOE's spent nuclear fuel project director. DOE finished verifying Fluor's work at 11 a.m. Sunday.

DOE's final review of the facility began at 8:30 a.m. Monday. DOE's inspection team is made up of experts -- mostly from off-site -- who have no connections to the K Basins. That review could last two to five days, with Loscoe speculating it will be done in fewer than five. Then, DOE and Fluor will have to fix any deficiencies found in that final evaluation.

K Basins employees worked through the weekend, including Thanksgiving.