Hanford Meeting in Hood River Draws a Critical Crowd

Blog post by Theresa Labriola, Riverkeeper’s Hanford Coordinator—

It’s inspiring when members of the public show up to a complicated, scientific and daunting public meeting about the Hanford Nuclear Site. On August 8th, more than 30 people joined Columbia Riverkeeper for a presentation by the Department of Energy (Energy). Energy came to Hood River to outline their Proposed Plan to clean up forty square miles in the southern corner of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, also known as the 300 Area. That’s the corner of Hanford where Energy manufactured uranium fuel rods and simultaneously disposed of more than 33,000 kg of uranium into ponds.

The crowd included long time activists as well as new residents of the Columbia River Gorge. They agreed that Hanford cleanup is a critical piece of a healthy Columbia River. The attentive crowd asked pointed questions and pressed Energy for details missing from the Proposed Plan.

• When did dilution become a viable solution?
• Does your risk analysis adequately protect children?
• What if the drinking water standards change, will you go back and clean it up further?
• Why not just do it right the first time?

The overall tenor of the crowd was disbelief - disbelief that Energy was proposing to use an experimental technology to bind uranium in the soil, and that they don’t have a backup plan. Instead, Energy will leave pollutants in the ground and allow pollutants to migrate towards the groundwater and the Columbia River.

I noted some of the heartfelt testimony:

• "I don’t want to live in a radioactive part of the country. It’s too special for that."
• "I think you can be working to a higher standard."
• "22 years is too long, I’ll be 94!"
• "I’d like this river to be cleaned up to a standard where everyone’s grandchildren can play along the shore, that the fish are safe to eat for pregnant women and children."
• "It seems like we should have a plan b ... spend the money that’s necessary to do it right."
• "People weren’t thinking of the future, when it was created. Now, we have to take responsibility."
• "I want to encourage DOE to keep going. But it’s up to us to say – this is important.”

Thank you to everyone who attended and told Energy, “this is important.”

If you didn’t get a chance to join us at the hearing, stay tuned for your chance to join Riverkeeper’s online petition asking Energy to choose a smarter, more protective cleanup plan that keeps uranium and radioactive and toxic chemicals out of our river. The comment period on the Proposed Plan ends September 16th. Submit your comment today!