Tri-Cities-area business interests are still pushing the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy) to essentially sell more than a thousand acres of Hanford to private corporations. Given the monumental clean-up task facing Energy, and the impending budget shortfall, they should focus all their resources on cleaning up the toxic and nuclear contamination threatening our river. Selling Hanford land is a distraction that neither Energy nor the Columbia can afford. Riverkeeper is also concerned—based on past proposals by local business interests—that selling Hanford land to private corporations could result in new nuclear development, or other uses that could harm the Columbia.
Riverkeeper’s detailed white paper explains the status of Energy’s decision-making process, and what might happen if local business interests convince Energy to sell.
