Danger of living in Portland Oregon due to Hanford Nuclear Facility
by Lynn Porter, June 24, 2002

Mr. Hatch,

Thank you for your email. I'll try to answer your questions.

1. How often do the environmental authorities in the Portland area test the local ground water and the Columbia in particular for radioactive traces. Has spent nuclear fuel (even traces) ever been found in the Columbia?

Portland gets most of its water supply from reservoirs up near Mt. Hood. None of it comes from the Columbia River. I believe they do occasionally draw some water from local wells. I don't know how often they check the wells for water quality, but I'm sure they are checked.

I don't know of any spent nuclear fuel ever having been found in the Columbia. But that isn't the issue. The ground water under Hanford is widely contaminated with radioactive and chemical materials, which were dumped into holes in the ground while Hanford was producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. The ground water flows into the Columbia. So far the flow of radiation (low level) into the Columbia is very small, and it is quickly diluted by the river. Along the banks as the river flows by Hanford there are radioactivity measurements above federal drinking water standards. By the time the river reaches the Richland water intake downstream the level of radioactivity is a small fraction of federal drinking water standards. So I would say there is no danger at present.

What concerns us is that there are large leaking underground tanks at Hanford full of high level radioactive materials. We know some of this has reached groundwater, about 200 feet below the tanks. No one knows if or when this material will reach the river. If it does, in any large quantity, the river could be in trouble. The leaking tanks are being pumped into nonleaking tanks. There is a long-term plan to get the waste out of the tanks and turn it into glass to keep it out of the environment.

2. Are there any documented studies which confirm that there have been no traces of heath problems of local residents due to the existence of spent nuclear fuel upstream?

Again, spent fuel is not the problem. There are enclosed pools near the river which contain spent fuel. The fuel is being moved to dry storage in the interior of Hanford, away from the river.

Some people believe there may have been health problems in the past due to people, especially Indians, eating fish from the river. Plutonium production at Hanford stopped in the late 80s. Between the early 40s and late 80s river water was used to cool Hanford's reactors, carrying significant radioactivity back to the river. That was probably a health hazard, but has long since dissipated. I don't believe there is a health risk now.

If tank waste reaches the river that could certainly lead to health problems due to people eating fish from the river or using the water for irrigation.

The main health risk from Hanford was probably due to airborne releases of radioactive iodine in the past. Iodine goes to the thyroid gland and can cause cancer. People living downwind of Hanford in the past believe their health was affected by the releases. A scientific study found no more thyroid cancer among "downwinders" than among those outside the downwind area. This is very controversial. It is apparently very difficult to evaluate the risk of past exposures to low-level radioactivity. You can find recent news articles about this on the Tri-City Herald's website at http://www.hanfordnews.com/. Or see the Hanford Watch website at http://www.hanfordwatch.org/ and read our email list.

3. Is it harmful to swim in the Columbia?

Not to my knowledge. However, I don't think I would swim in the part of the river that flows past Hanford. Just to be safe.

4. What is the possibility that the local Portland authorities will be unable to react in time to prevent a local catastrophe if a sufficient amount of nuclear fuel reaches the water supply in Portland and begins irreparably damaging the health of the local residents?

If tank waste poisons the river we are all in trouble. It won't affect our water supply here in Portland but will affect fishing, irrigation, transportation and recreation. Anything that damages the Columbia will hurt the Northwest economy.

I am not presently afraid of Hanford and I feel the Northwest is a good place to live. However, Hanford is a major Northwest environmental issue. If you move here I suggest getting involved in the movement to get Hanford cleaned up.