PORTLAND -- Not enough information has been made available for the public to intelligently comment on Hanford's plans to get radioactive wastes out of its tanks, Hanford Advisory Board members said Thursday.

The board plans to formally ask the Department of Energy today that more information become available before the federal agency ends a public comment period on the matter.

Thursday's discussion was prompted by DOE providing the board with a draft of the notice of intent that the department plans to enter into the Federal Register.

The matter traces back a few weeks ago when DOE announced its plans to close 26 to 40 of Hanford's 177 underground waste tanks by 2006. Such as move requires an environmental impact study followed by a formal DOE decision that includes a definition of what "closing" tanks mean.

Closure will cover what wastes could be left in a tank and how it would be sealed up.

DOE's timetable calls for that study to be completed and the decision be made by April 2004.

This process begins with a notice of intent filed in the Federal Register, which can be reached through the Internet. DOE had intended to begin a 45-day public comment period Dec. 16.

Meanwhile, DOE also expanded the scope of the upcoming environmental impact beyond the closure issues to include whether wastes should be glassified, not glassified, treated by both approaches and where the treated wastes should be disposed.

The study also will address whether some wastes can be reclassified to be disposed by some way other than glassification.

DOE officials said the agency expanded the study's scope after listening to the Hanford board in recent meetings and consulting with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state.

A major unknown is whether DOE will make formal decisions in April 2004 on all or just some of the topics covered in the expanded environmental study, said DOE official Greg Jones.

HAB members said the draft notice of intent does not provide information on the pros and cons of glassifying some wastes or all the wastes, why some alternative waste treatment methods could be better, why is Hanford ready to close tanks, should some wastes be reclassified to be disposed by some way other than glassification and other questions.

"Where are the data? Where are the facts?" said HAB member Betty Tabbutt, representing Washington's League of Women Voters.

Jones said the agency provided the draft notice of intent to the board to get feedback before it enters the document in the Federal Register.

There will be public comment meetings on the study in Richland, Seattle, Spokane, Portland and Hood River.

The dates have not been set.

The Hanford board hopes to get the public comment period extended into February or March.

DOE hopes to have a draft study report ready for more public comment by September 2003.