US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities around the country have, over the years, become contaminated with radionuclides and a range of organic and inorganic wastes. The major types of contamination found at the various sites have been summarized in the Environmental Restoration and Management Five Year Plan and, except for radionuclides (at most locations) and high explosives (at a few locations), are representative of the types of wastes found at many industrial facilities. The DOE faces additional unique challenges in cleaning up this contamination. Many of the DOE sites encompass large land areas and were originally sited in relatively unpopulated regions of the country to minimize risk to surrounding populations. In addition, many times wastes were stored underground at the sites in 55-gallon drums, wood boxes or other containers until final disposal methods could be determined. Over the years, these containers have deteriorated, releasing contaminants into the surrounding environment. This contamination has spread, in some cases polluting extensive areas.