Hanford nuclear plant continues to pose serious threat to PacificNorthwest

Hanford Plant

Hanford, Washington has been one of the areas along the West Coast that scientists believe is dangerous.  That's because there are leaks in the tanks that hold nuclear waste, and these tanks have lasted past their expiration date, which means these leaks can be particularly serious.

This is of particular importance as Washington Senator Patty Murray worries there is not enough money to fund the project at the level necessary to prevent a catastrophe.  She complains that funding cuts have taken place because of the large amount of money necessary for the project to build new containers for the nuclear waste.  Already the project is considerably behind the projected schedule for completion.

The Energy Department maintains that the shortfall is due to congress' unwillingness to maintain the level of funding needed to clean up Hanford and that it will be $8 million short over the next ten years.

Hanford, Washington is located just a few miles from the Tri-Cities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland, Washington.  These small towns form the bedrock of the engineering activities that brought nuclear power to Washington, as the economy flourished there in the 1960's.  John F. Kennedy made a trip to the area in 1963, shortly before his death, to commemorate the building of a new reactor that year.

The plant was established as part of the maintenance program of nuclear energy the United States had maintained for the development of energy alternatives as well as weapons that were especially critical during the Cold War years.

But the research and development of the nuclear power plants brought increasing alarm about waste products and leaking from the area.  Many people maintained their health problems, including cancer, miscarriages, infertility and other diseases were related to exposure to nuclear material that leaked into the soil and water.  Litigation has taken place over many years, with some of the court cases continuing to be reviewed.  The evidence, however, that leaks were the direct cause of the health problems has not, however, been proven to the satisfaction of the courts.

The Columbia River is the major tributary believed poised to be polluted the most in the event of a major leak.  Some folks believe that leaks have already occurred and polluted the river in some areas.  The location of the plant offers a level of vulnerability not just to the State of Washington but also Oregon and the coastline to Canada.

Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, has announced his concerns that the documents he has seen show construction flaws in the tanks at Hanford, even as the cutbacks in funds has created alarm that there won't be sufficient money to encase the nuclear waste properly. tion for the Department of Energy to share more with the public about construction flaws in the double-shelled tanks is stirring up opinions.

Senator Wyden reportedly wrote a letter to Ernest Moniz, Department of Energy Secretary, stating, "The citizens living along banks of the Columbia River deserve to know the full story of what is happening with the Hanford tanks."

Dick Cheney, formerly Vice President under George W. Bush, however disagrees that government should be more involved and transparent in its involvement.  He is quoted as saying,"Get the government out of it. Let the people here, the engineers and the local people, who I believe are honest and hard workers, take car of the problem," says Dick Cheney, who disagrees with more politicians getting involved.

Many of the engineers in the Hanford area are worried about the reactor waste.  This is true especially concerning the cleanup project that some say has had so many secrets, delays, lack of funding and other issues that it has been difficult to get straight answers or to get the needed materials and work done.  There is enough radioactive waste deep under the earth that it poses a hazard to the health of the immediate community and the potential for another Fukushima tragedy.

It is referred to by experts as one of the most treacherously dangerous places on earth.