Hello There, Guest! (LoginRegister)

Post Reply 
Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Author Message
SumOfAllFears Offline
Grim Reaper of Misguided Liberal Souls
*

Posts: 18,213
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation: 58
I Root For: America
Location:
Post: #1
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.
03-28-2014 09:36 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


I45owl Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 18,374
Joined: Jun 2005
Reputation: 184
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Dallas, TX

New Orleans Bowl
Post: #2
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.)
03-28-2014 09:40 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SumOfAllFears Offline
Grim Reaper of Misguided Liberal Souls
*

Posts: 18,213
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation: 58
I Root For: America
Location:
Post: #3
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.)
03-28-2014 09:51 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


DrTorch Offline
Proved mach and GTS to be liars
*

Posts: 35,887
Joined: Jun 2002
Reputation: 201
I Root For: ASU, BGSU
Location:

CrappiesDonatorsBalance of Power Contest
Post: #4
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.
03-28-2014 09:53 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SumOfAllFears Offline
Grim Reaper of Misguided Liberal Souls
*

Posts: 18,213
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation: 58
I Root For: America
Location:
Post: #5
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.
03-28-2014 10:07 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


I45owl Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 18,374
Joined: Jun 2005
Reputation: 184
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Dallas, TX

New Orleans Bowl
Post: #6
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.
03-28-2014 10:40 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SumOfAllFears Offline
Grim Reaper of Misguided Liberal Souls
*

Posts: 18,213
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation: 58
I Root For: America
Location:
Post: #7
Re: Nuclear waste leaking at Hanford, Washington
Don't know what you are getting at. My point still stands.
03-28-2014 11:41 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


Lord Stanley Offline
L'Étoile du Nord
*

Posts: 19,103
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation: 994
I Root For: NIU
Location: Cold. So cold......
Post: #8
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?
03-28-2014 11:51 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
I45owl Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 18,374
Joined: Jun 2005
Reputation: 184
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Dallas, TX

New Orleans Bowl
Post: #9
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.
03-28-2014 12:28 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
I45owl Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 18,374
Joined: Jun 2005
Reputation: 184
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Dallas, TX

New Orleans Bowl
Post: #10
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).
03-28-2014 12:30 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


Copyright © 2002-2024 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 MyBB Group.