SumOfAllFears
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Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford site in Washington, again
Quote:A tank storing radioactive waste at America’s most contaminated nuclear site appears to have sprung a leak, leaching yet more cancer-causing isotopes into soil some five miles from the Columbia River in Washington state.
An underground tank holding some of the worst radioactive waste at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site might be leaking into the soil.
The U.S. Energy Department said workers at Washington state’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation detected higher radioactivity levels under tank AY-102 during a routine inspection Thursday.
Spokeswoman Lori Gamache said the department has notified Washington officials and is investigating the leak further. An engineering analysis team will conduct additional sampling and video inspection to determine the source of the contamination, she said.
State and federal officials have long said leaking tanks at Hanford do not pose an immediate threat to the environment or public health. The largest waterway in the Pacific Northwest — the Columbia River — is still at least 5 miles away and the closest communities are several miles downstream.
However, if this dangerous waste escapes the tank into the soil, it raises concerns about it traveling to the groundwater and someday potentially reaching the river.
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03-28-2014 09:36 AM |
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I45owl
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Note that this is a former Nuclear WEAPONS facility, dating back to the 1940s.
(This post was last modified: 03-28-2014 09:41 AM by I45owl.)
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03-28-2014 09:40 AM |
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SumOfAllFears
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 09:40 AM)I45owl Wrote: Note that this is a former Nuclear WEAPONS facility, dating back to the 1940s.
So, it is the oldest facility in the US, does mean they are allowed to operate in a manner that is not safe? Even though it is considered to be a secret facility, it should still be operated safely. This is not the first time for Hanford.
The Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission thought the Fukushima facility was safe to operate. Look where that got them.
Top priority should be the safe operation of anything nuclear.
(This post was last modified: 03-28-2014 09:52 AM by SumOfAllFears.)
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03-28-2014 09:51 AM |
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DrTorch
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 09:51 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote: (03-28-2014 09:40 AM)I45owl Wrote: Note that this is a former Nuclear WEAPONS facility, dating back to the 1940s.
So, it is the oldest facility in the US, does mean they are allowed to operate in a manner that is not safe? Even though it is considered to be a secret facility, it should still be operated safely. This is not the first time for Hanford.
Top priority should be the safe operation of anything nuclear.
You seem to imply they don't take that seriously at Hanford. They absolutely do. They work extremely hard to be safe. But the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics works against them, and they have to deal with issues left behind from 70 years ago.
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03-28-2014 09:53 AM |
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SumOfAllFears
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 09:53 AM)DrTorch Wrote: (03-28-2014 09:51 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote: (03-28-2014 09:40 AM)I45owl Wrote: Note that this is a former Nuclear WEAPONS facility, dating back to the 1940s.
So, it is the oldest facility in the US, does mean they are allowed to operate in a manner that is not safe? Even though it is considered to be a secret facility, it should still be operated safely. This is not the first time for Hanford.
Top priority should be the safe operation of anything nuclear.
You seem to imply they don't take that seriously at Hanford. They absolutely do. They work extremely hard to be safe. But the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics works against them, and they have to deal with issues left behind from 70 years ago.
Yucca Mountain was to be the long term storage facility approved in 2002 by Congress. Zero withdrew funding in 2010. Some would say that they lawlessly shuttered it not for technical or safety reasons, but political reasons. Leaving American citizens without the desperately needed long term storage facility. That's all I'm implying.
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03-28-2014 10:07 AM |
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I45owl
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 09:51 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote: (03-28-2014 09:40 AM)I45owl Wrote: Note that this is a former Nuclear WEAPONS facility, dating back to the 1940s.
So, it is the oldest facility in the US, does mean they are allowed to operate in a manner that is not safe? Even though it is considered to be a secret facility, it should still be operated safely. This is not the first time for Hanford.
The Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission thought the Fukushima facility was safe to operate. Look where that got them.
Top priority should be the safe operation of anything nuclear.
There are virtually no implications from this site - operated during wartime in a rush to end the war - to nuclear power facilities where safety is a priority, and where the track record of safety in the West is extremely good, even accounting for TMI and the Fukushima plant.
Hanford and Rocky Flats pose issues that are far different from plant operations. Yes, they absolutely should be cleaned up, and the current situation mitigated to prevent harm to nearby residents.
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03-28-2014 10:40 AM |
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SumOfAllFears
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Re: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Don't know what you are getting at. My point still stands.
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03-28-2014 11:41 AM |
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Lord Stanley
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Please note that the Governor of Washington state is a Democrat.
Please note that the State House of Representative in Washington state has a Democratic majority
Please note that the State Senate in Washington state has a Democratic majority
Democrats, why did you let this happen?
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03-28-2014 11:51 AM |
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I45owl
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 11:41 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote: Don't know what you are getting at. My point still stands.
Not sure what point you are referring to. My original post in this thread was a simple statement of fact. My second post is to clarify why I made the first post.
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03-28-2014 12:28 PM |
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I45owl
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RE: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
(03-28-2014 09:51 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote: Top priority should be the safe operation of anything nuclear.
If this is the point that you wish to make, I will say that the resources and priorities allocated to waste cleanup sites - nuclear or otherwise - should be proportionate to the risk they pose, not the fear they inspire (which are rarely proportional to actual risk).
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03-28-2014 12:30 PM |
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