Of all the many issues hitting the fan these days, the question of nuclear waste and utter negligence of the DOE around effective storage/cleanup are paramount.
Please find time to add your voice regarding this critical concern.
At the Hanford nuclear waste dump in Washington State, the soil under Building 324 is so intensely radioactive that 2 minutes of exposure would be lethal - only 1000 feet from the Columbia River, leeching into groundwaters. That is only one of many concerns being ignored/neglected at Hanford. Other sites around the country have the same issues.
Hanford, is the most contaminated area and most dangerous industrial facility in the Western Hemisphere. As you read this, radioactive and chemical contamination flows into the Columbia River and numerous facilities could release vast amounts of radiation in a mild earthquake.
On April 29, 2021, the US Department of Energy (USDOE) publicly admitted the tank was leaking. That was more than 2 years after evidence of a massive leak was known.
Federal and State laws require "immediate" reporting of a leak, and "immediate" action to remove leakable liquids from any leaking hazardous waste tank to stop the leak.
But, no enforcement action has been taken by Washington State.
On August 25, 2022, Washington State Ecology and the US Department of Energy signed an agreement that would let this tank keep leaking for years, possibly decades!
Click here to watch KING5's Investigators' news coverage of the deal to let the tank keep leaking:
How deadly is the contamination heading to groundwater and our River?
If 100 people were exposed to the soil 60 feet under the tank for 3 months, 50 of the 100 would die of acute radiation sickness. Almost everyone who didn't die quickly would eventually get cancer. So, how can the federal Energy Department, USDOE, say they are just going to let the leak go on?
And, how can Washington State not take legal action to require the tank to be emptied as our environmental laws require?
Governor Inslee publicly proclaimed Washington State had a "Zero Tolerance" policy for leaking tanks at Hanford. But, years are going by with ZERO Action to stop the leak and protect our Columbia River!
Heart of America Northwest reviewed records proving that the USDOE knew the tank was leaking in March 2019!
When the leak was announced in 2021, contamination had already moved 60 feet below ground - a quarter of the way to the groundwater that flows into the Columbia River.
Every day of inaction spreads the deadly contamination closer to our Columbia River.
State and federal hazardous waste laws say that a leaking hazardous waste tank must have the leakable liquid removed immediately or as soon as feasible.
In public meetings, top Hanford officials from the US Department of Energy (USDOE) said they do not plan to empty the tank for many years or do anything to stop the spread of contamination. Washington State has the authority to order the leakable liquids to be emptied from the tank. Instead of acting Washington Ecology signed an agreement - with no public comment - to let the tank just keep leaking for years.
There is a proven method of removing the leakable liquid from the tank and treating this waste that is not only safe, but will also save hundreds of millions of dollars.
It's time for Washington Governor Inslee and Director of Ecology Laura Watson and Washington AG Ferguson to order Hanford officials to empty the tank and protect the Columbia River rather than allowing the High-Level Nuclear Waste tank to keep leaking into the soil and water.
Please take a minute to email Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Director of Ecology Laura Watson, and Washington AG Bob Ferguson to order Hanford officials to empty the tank and protect the Columbia River as laws require.
Just click HERE:
https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ContactForm.aspx
More info from Heart of America NW, "The Public's Voice for Hanford Clean-Up" at www.hanfordcleanup.org.
Tribal Environmental Law students have been working with the Yakama Nation and Heart of America NW to research the deadly levels of highly radioactive soil under Hanford's 324 Building and how USDOE's intent to delay cleanup may impact health and Treaty rights.
We asked EPA to address whether soil at 324 was planned to be disposed of in compliance with rules that prohibit HLW or GTCC going into ERDF.
We will be great-full to know the USDOE presentation will propose following the legal requirements in the Superfund law (CERCLA) for a full review of alternatives and a public comment period.
Please find time to add your voice regarding this critical concern.
CONTACT:
Gerry Pollet (gerry@hoanw.org)
https://www.facebook.com/hoanw/
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The USDOE presented its plan to the Hanford Advisory Board on 8/23/23.
Current Status:
We are inviting the public to comment on the draft permit and fact sheet supporting the renewal of Categorical State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST0004511 for Hanford Site Miscellaneous Wastewater Discharge Streams. The permittee is the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy). The Hanford Site is located in southeastern Washington.
The permit renewal is now available for public review and comment:
Begins: Aug. 23, 2023
Ends: Sept. 22, 2023
State Waste Discharge Permit Renewal
ST0004511 Miscellaneous Stream
https://nw.ecology.commentinput.com/?id=3tQre&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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Renewal Overview
This permit consolidates four previous state waste discharge permits into one “categorical permit” which covers all “miscellaneous streams” across the Hanford Site in areas related to the Energy's cleanup mission. It does not cover leased areas or those managed by other agencies.
How to comment:
The proposed modification is available for review online at the Nuclear Waste Program’s public comment page.
Electronic copies of the proposed modification are also located at the Administrative Record and Information Repositories.
Please submit comments by Sept. 22, 2023.
Electronically (preferred), mail or deliver to:
Daina McFadden
3100 Port of Benton Blvd
Richland WA 9935
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Public hearings:
As of this posting, no public hearings had been scheduled. Apparently, enough interest has been expressed for public hearings to be set up. Please see comments below for information about public hearings with:
THE HANFORD ADVISORY BOARD just held 3 public meetings this week (9/12-14/23).
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The U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (A 30-day public feedback period is expected to begin in early October, with a public meeting planned in late October.)
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To request a hearing or for more information, contact:
Daina McFadden
Permit Communications Specialist
Mail to:
Phone:
509-372-7950
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Relevant information / Talking Points:
(From chat comments on recent webinar)
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“The cesium originated from the German Glass log vitrification program conducted in the cell. During operations they were classifying high level nuclear waste to make radioactive glass logs for the nation of Germany. Those today sit in a storage unit in Castor casks on the west side of the site. During operations, the glass wasn’t radioactive enough either high level waste alone. So they cut open cesium capsules from WEESF and dumped the cesium into the melt. That then boiled off as a gas and plugged the offers filters. The operators then cut off the offers system and allowed the cesium to boil off the melt into the cell. From there, it leaked down through a construction seam into the soil.
“As the water level of the river rises and falls seasonally and with changes in dam operation upstream, water is pushed into the soil, then back out - washing the radioactive and toxic waste through the soil and into the river. Additionally, this "hyporheic zone" - the wetted zone is home to many creatures that migrate through the soil from the river and back.”
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“Report of more contaminated soil than would fit into the hot cells was Lifecycle Cost and Schedule report for Hanford cleanup Dec 2022 (public release Jan 2023). This was months ahead of announcement of new found contaminated soil area.”
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“More - Judge Windmills ruling prior to it being decided to not be ripe would turn the entire plan at Hanford upside down. In his ruling he argued that the liquid in the tanks is high level waste no matter its composition. While the incredibly radioactive solids could potentially be fount be low enough in radiative content, and risk to be considered for delisting (by NRC). However, this is precisely the opposite of the Waste Treatment Plant design and DOE thinking. DOE wants to treat the solids as HLW due to the actinide content (and others), and to delist the liquids as "low level" waste. In reality since 1995, DOE has had to acknowledge that the liquid portion is Low Activity High Level Waste and NOT low level waste.”
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“Also - for leaked tank waste - no treatment was done. The waste in the tanks is high level waste. The leaked waste is also high level waste. DOE and EPA want to call those "past practice waste" and then declare them not to be high level waste by fiat. By that logic all DOE needs to do to deal with all of the tanks waste is to dissolve it in water and dump it into the group. Voile - no longer high level waste. That is of course absurd and in direct violation of the law.”
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“In addition to the cesium-137 (30.17 year half life) from tank waste and from the capsules, there is a substantial amount of cesium-135 from those same sources with a 23 million year half-life. The hazard from this was will remain for longer than humans have existed by many times over.”
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“The CLUP was never a lawful land use designation. Such designation can only be made by the Counties in Washington State - not by the Federal Government, and particularly not by the responsible party to a contamination.”
9/5/2023
Applicants sought to serve on Hanford Advisory Board
This is a joint announcement from the Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
RICHLAND, Wash. – The Hanford Advisory Board (HAB) is seeking new members to advise federal and state agencies on the ongoing cleanup of the Hanford Site in southeast Washington.
The Tri-Party Agreement agencies — the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy), Washington State Department of Ecology, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — are accepting applications from Sept. 5 – Oct. 31 for several vacant seats on the board. The vacant seats are for members that represent the public-at-large, and organizations from communities near the Hanford Site and the region.
"We’re looking for new board members who are interested in or have a stake in the nuclear cleanup at Hanford,” said Susan Coleman, chair of the HAB. “A diversity of voices and perspectives will help shape advice and recommendations on Hanford cleanup that we provide to the Tri-Party Agreement agencies."
The HAB is a nonpartisan representative body that strives to have board members that represent a broad and balanced mix of diverse interests affected by Hanford cleanup issues. As set forth in its charter, the primary mission of the board is to provide informed recommendations and advice to the Tri-Party Agreement agencies on selected major policy issues related to Hanford Site cleanup.
Members are expected to attend quarterly full board meetings and have the option to join topic-specific committees that also meet on a quarterly basis. HAB members are not paid, but do receive reimbursement for travel expenses while attending meetings.
The Hanford Site produced more than 70 tons of plutonium from World War II through the Cold War. When plutonium production ceased in 1989, the site’s mission shifted to cleaning up the chemical and radioactive waste left behind.
Energy is the federal agency responsible for Hanford and its cleanup. Ecology and the EPA are the regulators overseeing Energy’s cleanup under the Tri-Party Agreement, a judicial Consent Decree, and various permits.
Since 1994, the HAB has passed 314 pieces of advice to the Tri-Party Agencies.
https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hab/AdviceandResponses?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Applications for membership and more information about the HAB can be found on Energy's website.
https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hab?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Apply by Oct. 31, 2023. Application instructions are on the application form.
If you or an organization you're a part of are interested in serving on the HAB and have further questions, please reach out to any of the contacts below.
U.S. Department of Energy Geoff Tyree Hanford Office of Communications Geoffrey.Tyree@rl.doe.gov / 509-308-4287
Washington Department of Ecology Ryan Miller Communications Manager Ryan.Miller@ecy.wa.gov / 509-537-2228
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Roberto Armijo Remedial Project Manager Armijo.Roberto@epa.gov / 509-376-3749
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https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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Here's and interesting twist ...:
From Robert B. Hubbell's Substack site - (9/2/2023)
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/impeach-ready-aim!
Judge Ho takes control of nuclear safety in the US.
"You may remember that federal court of appeals judge James Ho recently filed a concurring opinion in which he described the “aesthetic injury” caused by abortion to doctors who are denied the experience of delivering babies. That same judge issued a decision in which three judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals essentially appointed themselves the arbiters of the disposal of nuclear waste in the US."
See Vox, Texas v. NRC: America’s Trumpiest court just put itself in charge of nuclear safety.
https://www.vox.com/2023/8/29/23849054/supreme-court-nuclear-safety-fifth-circuit-james-ho-radioactive-texas-commission
"Per Vox,
"Judge James Ho is not a nuclear scientist, an expert in energy policy, an atomic engineer, or anyone else with any specialized knowledge whatsoever on how to store and dispose of nuclear waste.
"Nevertheless, Ho and two of his far-right colleagues on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit just put themselves in charge of much of America’s nuclear safety regime — invalidating the power of actual nuclear policy regulators to decide how to deal with nuclear waste in the process."
"Judge Ho’s opinion is a dumpster fire of anti-regulatory broadsides on “the administrative state.” Judge Ho (and his fellow Federalist Society judges) may hate the administrative state, but the US will soon have 200,000 metric tons of nuclear waste on its hands. Congress has ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine how and where nuclear waste should be stored. Under Judge Ho’s decision, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit gets to make those decisions.
"While disposing of nuclear waste is no one’s favorite topic, it is one that should be left to scientists and engineers whose charge is to protect public health and safety. While much of Judge Ho’s decision is nonsense, two paragraphs invoke the “major questions doctrine,” in which the reactionary majority on the Supreme Court granted itself the right to overrule congressional judgments delegating regulatory authority to federal agencies.
"The Supreme Court’s reactionary majority may soon find itself struggling with the question of where to store 200,000 tons of nuclear waste if it rejects the judgments of the NRC and EPA. Is that a decision we should leave up to Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito?
I vote no!!"
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Also, see:
From Ian Millhiser at Vox.com:
The edgelord of the federal judiciary
"Imagine a Breitbart comments forum come to life and given immense power over innocent people. That’s Judge James Ho."
https://www.vox.com/scotus/23841718/edgelord-federal-judiciary-james-ho-fifth-circuit-abortion-guns
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More on Judge James Ho
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-16-2023
(Last 6 paragraphs at end of letter)