By Abigail Cermak, Hanford Coordinator
Here’s what you told them:
- Set and keep a firm deadline for cleanup of the Central Plateau--"TBD" is irresponsible and unacceptable.
- Investigate or start removing the radioactive waste stored in Hanford's unlined trenches by 2020 so we decrease the chance of more contamination reaching groundwater.
- Prioritize the cleanup of the 324 building—a heavily contaminated area at Hanford—by requesting additional site-specific funding.
Go here to read Columbia Riverkeeper’s detailed technical comments submitted to the Tri-Party Agencies.
If you are new to the issue, here’s a few things to know about the proposed delays and what that means for the health of our river communities and the environment.
About the Proposed Delays
The U.S. Department of Energy (Energy), Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed changes to the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), the document that lays out the deadlines—called milestones—for the cleanup effort Hanford cleanup. The TPA changes are a huge setback and include some of the largest delays in Hanford cleanup to date. Currently, the TPA calls for Central Plateau cleanup by 2024. Hundreds of liquid and solid waste dumping sites are located in this area. Under the proposed changes, cleanup plans would be delayed by more than a decade and the final cleanup date is listed as “To Be Determined”.
Overall, the TPA agencies are proposing extensions for nine milestones, modifications to six milestones, and an addition of nineteen new milestones. Go here for the full version of the TPA changes and here for the TPA agency fact sheet.
What do these changes mean?
Increased Risk to Human Health and the Environment
What happens in the Central Plateau, doesn’t stay in the Central Plateau. Every delay means more contamination gets into the groundwater from toxic burial grounds. Since the groundwater is moving toward the Columbia River, a ten year delay increases the likelihood of radioactive and chemical wastes reaching the River. The same logic can be applied to the delays happening for the 618-11 burial ground and the 324 building, some of the most dangerous and toxic sites located near the river. We work, live, and play on the Columbia River and protecting it should be the highest priority.
Increased Cleanup Costs
With every passing year, the costs of cleanup will continue to rise. As contamination sinks further into the ground and affects more groundwater, the effort to go capture that waste will become more difficult and take longer. Because Hanford’s infrastructure is old and failing, additional money will need to be spent to fix roofs as well as sewer and water pipelines in contaminated buildings before cleanup will even begin. These extra costs are paid for by our federal tax dollars, dollars that will be wasted.
No Accountability
Cleanup completion of the Central Plateau has been changed to “To Be Determined.” This is unacceptable. The purpose of the Tri-Party Agreement is to ensure that Energy and their contractors are completing the work in a timely and effective manner. Without firm cleanup deadlines, Energy cannot be held accountable to completing this vital work. Washington State and Governor Inslee have repeatedly stated that having enforceable schedules is a firm requirement. The EPA and Ecology have even gone to court to hold Energy to deadlines before. Removing this type of oversight is a big mistake! Without firm deadlines, Energy is off the hook and we will continue to see more proposed delays.
