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Our fiscal year 2001 budget priorities Paige Knight, Hanford Watch -- March 7, 1999 Hanford has been holding its annual budget hearing for public input this month. This is the first step in planning the fiscal year 2001 budget. In Portland approximately 40 citizens attended and gave the Richland office of the Dept. of Energy focused feedback on what we want to see the US DOE and Congress fund for cleanup. In order to meet the legal requirements of the the Tri-Party Agreement for cleanup. Hanford needs $1.444 billion to meet safety standards and cleanup schedules. The US Government has a moral obligation to adequately fund cleanup at Hanford. In the early stages of this budget process $1.065 billion has been put forth from the Office of Management and Budget. There is a big disconnect here. Citizen feedback included the following advice: No restart of the FFTF for any missions because the mission at Hanford is CLEANUP and we want no more waste streams, no more secret missions and need the dollars that keep it on stand by for the real prioirities at Hanford. The single shelled tank stabilization agreement is too slow and costs more than twice the amount of doing it a year ago. Do not put off any more urgent actions! Characterization of ground water and vadose zone contamination must be funded and move forward. The Tank Waste Vitrification Project (the most urgent risk at Hanford) needs to do more faster in the privitization program for glassifying the wastes. We want the facility up and running to treat waste -- get on with cleanup. Move the spent fuel at the K-Basins away from the river and safely store it. Get on with it! Continue progress in cleaning up contamination along the Columbia River. Store the plutonium at the Plutonium Finishing Plant safely. THESE ARE THE PRIORITIES. Lack of leadership is the problem at Hanford and at US DOE headquarters. More dollars for cleanup mean absolutely nothing without strong visionary leadership. It is important that the US DOE and Richland DOE hear from as many citizens as possible. It would be unusual for both offices to be flooded with phone calls and letters, and would make a huge difference. Our congressional delegation needs to hear this message as well. Just think, the cost of one B-2 Bomber would move Hanford cleanup forward beyond our hithertofore wildest dreams. Write or e-mail: Secretary Bill Richardson Jim Peterson |
