Blog post by Theresa Labriola, Riverkeeper’s Hanford Coordinator—
THANK YOU! More than 140 Columbia Riverkeeper members as well as 13 organizations and 18 Native Fish Society River Stewards sent a clear message to the Department of Energy (Energy): Don’t Shortchange Hanford’s Groundwater Cleanup.
Despite the need to intercept radioactive and chemical waste in the groundwater before it reaches the Columbia River, Energy’s proposed 2014 and 2015 budget shortchanges Hanford’s critical groundwater treatment program. The groundwater program will receive only half of the funds necessary to reach cleanup milestones. Just 6 percent of the proposed Hanford budget of $2.2 billion is targeted toward groundwater cleanup.
Energy’s decision to cut funding for new groundwater cleanup is out of line with their stated commitment to protect the Columbia River and our endangered salmon.
Check out our comment letter and press release. And stay tuned for Energy’s response.
