If the waste at Hanford is relabeled from high-level to low-level, it means that the energy department will be allowed to grout portions of Hanford’s toxic waste and essentially abandon it next to the Columbia River. However, this method has flaws, including the deterioration of the cement seals, which could lead to additional leaks into the surrounding area’s ground water. Grouting is a method used to secure tiles on a bathroom floor. But does it really sound like a safe and sustainable method for securing hazardous, high-level nuclear waste?
Oregon Live 12th Dec 2018 read more »
Demolition of Hanford’s highly contaminated Plutonium Finishing Plant will not restart this month as expected. So far Hanford regulators have approved the Department of Energy only to load up and haul away contaminated rubble at the plant and do some lower risk demolition after a spread of radioactive contamination halted high hazard work at the plant in December 2017. All involved have agreed that Hanford workers must show they can safely load contaminated debris from previous demolition work at the plant before demolition can restart again. But the loading of the rubble has fallen behind schedule.
Tri City Herald 12th Dec 2018 read more »
Nevada officials postponed until at least January submitting an end-of-year report to the governor about state efforts to fight federal proposals to bury the nation’s nuclear reactor waste north of Las Vegas. The state Commission on Nuclear Projects cited uncertainty Wednesday about whether Congress will allocate any funds in coming days for the mothballed Yucca Mountain repository. Agency officials also reviewed a lawsuit filed recently to block a separate plan by the Energy Department to ship weapons-grade plutonium from South Carolina to a U.S. radioactive materials handling facility at the former Nevada nuclear weapons proving ground. The Yucca Mountain project was shelved in 2010 under pressure from then-Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama. They said nuclear waste should be stored in a state that wants it.
Las Vegas Sun 12th Dec 2018 read more »