Under the “Tri Party Agreement”, the clean-up of the Hanford spill was signed into agreement in 1989, with a projected completion in 30 years. This projected date is nearly 3 years past due, with a multitude of harmful implications. Although there is already advocacy for the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site, this petition aims to raise awareness on a larger scale. The goal is to gain the coverage and the advocacy that an almost century-old nuclear waste spill demands. The Hanford site is not only a long-standing health hazard, but a potentially devastating, ticking time bomb.
During the Cold War, the 74 tons of plutonium produced at Hanford made up roughly two-thirds of the plutonium in the United States. This plutonium is a well-known radioactive substance mass produced for the construction of the atomic bomb. As the Cold War ended, the Department of Energy delegated cleanup to various private companies. When production was finally halted, 56 million gallons remained. This remaining radioactive waste is held in underground tanks and solid waste is buried throughout the site. Not only does the nuclear waste remain to be properly disposed of, but much of the waste has also already spilled into the environment. Spills and solid waste burials were not accurately recorded and consequently, the environmental and health effects have been devastating, and unrecognized. Local rivers, including the Columbia River are polluted with nuclear waste. This waste has even been detected 200 miles downstream in the Pacific Ocean, in both water and local wildlife. Impacts of environmental waste, however, are more readily acknowledged compared to the many health ailments reported. In fact, the Department of Energy reported “toxins in the air ‘far exceeding occupational limits’ with side effects such as lung and brain damage, and cancer. Exposure has resulted in more than a hundred workers suffering from respiratory and cognitive problems such as dementia and has led to at least one death. Hanford is estimated to be actively leaking 3.5 gallons of waste per day into the environment, the equivalent of nearly 1,300 gallons per year. These numbers are terrifying, especially considering the waste is hazardous at microscopic levels. Despite such hard evidence of continual leakage and exposure, the government claims the radiation is not dangerous.
A big challenge in the cleanup of Hanford is avoiding further contamination. This task requires a highly skilled and experienced workforce. Along with the variety of unknowns in cleanup, what is known is that cleanup will be an extremely expensive task. The projected cost of cleanup has tripled in three years, and that’s under the best-case scenario. According to a Department of Energy report published January 2019, “remaining cleanup costs are $323.2 billion at best. At worst it could be $677 billion.” When considering that figure, it is easy to see why the DOE says that a new approach is necessary for cleaning up Hanford. One can only hope that a cheaper way of cleaning up Hanford is found because the project has been underfunded for years compared to the price identified as necessary. So, considering the price hikes, will our representatives be willing to meet the required funding levels considering the environmental concerns? Please be a voice in advocating for the health and safety of millions of locals, wildlife and the environment we share!
 
For more important information about the Hanford Nuclear Waste Site, we encourage you to visit hanfordchallenge.org