nuclear-news

Crucial issues are not addressed in Hanford Nuclear Reservation waste permit

Critics say new Hanford Nuclear Reservation waste permit has big holes ,   May 02, 2012,   By Scott Learn, The Oregonian  Washington’s new blueprint for dealing with dangerous waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation tops 16,000 pages, covering the maze of polluted land and water at the former nuclear weapons production site.

But Hanford activists say it leaves crucial issues unaddressed; namely, imports of new radioactive waste and the ultimate cleanup plan for leaking storage tanks and much of 43 miles of contaminated ditches.

Washington’s Department of Ecology issued a draft of the 10-year“dangerous waste permit” Tuesday. It’s now up for public comment, including a hearing scheduled for May 16 in Portland. Activists, led by Heart of America Northwest, say Washington regulators are giving a free pass to the U.S. Department of Energy, which operates the nation’s largest nuclear cleanup site.

The department wants to bury and cap most of the contamination instead of removing it, they say, and to bring more nuclear waste to Hanford. The state permit does nothing to stop that, said Gerry Pollet, executive director of the Hanford watchdog group.

“They’re saying, ‘We’re going to give you a permit even though this is a non-compliant facility and there’s no closure plan,'” Pollet said. “The public doesn’t have anything to look at.” ….  The public comment period runs through Sept. 30, including the Portland hearing starting at 7 p.m. May 16 at the Red Lion Hotel on the River — Jantzen Beach, 909 N. Hayden Drive.    http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/05/critics_say_new_hanford_nuclea.html

May 3, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general