What went wrong?

John Mac Millan, former executive director of the radioactive waste management authority: "There's plenty of fault to go around. ... Regulators, they were in a passive mode at that point. Chem-Nuclear felt they had licensed a facility in South Carolina, so there was a certain amount of arrogance on their part. For all of us, it was the first time we had been through this."
     Kathryn Haynes, executive director of the Southeast Compact Commission: "I haven't seen any evidence that the leadership of the state has been pushing this as a favored project. ... When the governor or the leadership of the legislature wants a particular thing to happen, then it happens."
     State Rep. George Miller Jr., a Durham Democrat: "We put into place agencies, check and balance points, overall review of multiple responsible departments. I cannot think right now of another one I would have added to that. ... Some of this stuff just happened."
     David Ebenhack, a Chem-Nuclear spokesman who headed the North Carolina office from 1989 to 1996: "It may have collectively been a little bit of everybody's fault. ...There is not much of a political will to want to put one of these things in."
     Dayne Brown, retired head of the state Division of Radiation Protection: "Everyone has been tremendously concerned about time and money. That's fine and good, as long as you don't let it interfere with your grasp of reality. You can't make a complex site simple."
     Mary MacDowell, a Chatham County employee who monitored and opposed the dump: "The authority paid no attention to what the regulators were saying in relation to Chem-Nuclear. ... The contractors have just kept the meter clicking and avoided the critical issue that would tell us yes or no."
     Gov. Jim Hunt: "It's unfortunate that we couldn't see how complicated this was going to be. ... A worse result would be to say, 'Oh, it's already cost us all this money. We've got to panic now and approve a site that's not safe, just so we'll have one.' I will not permit that."