nuclear-news

Kids get a sanitised tour of Hanford nuclear plant

The Stories Kids Touring Hanford’s Nuclear Plant Won’t Get to Hear, Seattle Weekly, By Johnathon Fitzpatrick ., Mar. 13 2012  Washington’s Hanford nuclear facility is home to the world’s worst radioactive dump site. This year for the first time ever, the Department of Energy is allowing school kids to tour the world’s original production-scale nuclear reactor, but there are plenty of secrets which the tour guide probably won’t mention.

Last fall, we published a cover story that looked at the boondoggle that is the massive cleanup  of the nuclear dump site, with a follow up on what an environmental crisis at Hanford would look like. Then, last month, we published another cover story about whistleblowers crying foul over the institutional problems within Hanford management . Given all that coverage, here are some facts about Hanford you likely won’t hear on the tour:

• 56 million gallons of radioactive waste are stored nearby in old tanks that might be leaking and could explode at any time…….
• Management at the Department of Energy routinely sabotage safety oversight. ….
• Hanford contractors don’t like to stop projects for safety violations because getting done on schedule means bonuses. ….
• Hanford management sexually harassed a female safety inspector. ……
• Management pulled an engineer to scare other employees into submission.  He was removed from his job and forced to work in an offsite windowless basement office as a warning of sorts to others who were contemplating speaking out.
• Hanford projects are mismanaged and, more often than not, never completed.
• Critical reports are classified to limit exposure to bad press.
• Once again, the evaluation found serious vulnerabilities with the (Hanford Waste Treatment Plant) that would likely require design changes and testing to remedy. The results of the report were briefed to the DOE.At that point, however, the report’s classification was revised, then reissued as “business sensitive” and for “official use only,” rather than being released publicly as intended. “The stated reason from the DOE at the meeting was to keep it out of the hands of potential critical reviewers such as the (Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board),” says Thorson.
• Enjoy the tour, kids!    http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2012/03/the_stories_kids_touring_hanfo.php

March 14, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA