News -- April 3, 1999

Hanford watchdog group disbanding
The Spokesman-Review – March 29, 1999
A Spokane group nationally known for its role in prying loose many of Hanford's Cold War nuclear secrets is disbanding this week after 15 years. The demise of the Hanford Education Action League disappoints some activists, who say the decision was too abrupt and was made by a handful of HEAL leaders. HEAL Executive Director Lynne Stembridge said public interest in Hanford has been waning, making it harder to raise money and attract foundation support.

HEAL researcher Todd Martin, an expert on Hanford's dangerous nuclear waste tanks, will continue his work as an independent consultant. (more)

DOE will make twice-yearly reports on subterranean cleanup
The Oregonian (AP) – March 30, 1999
The Department of Energy will now report twice a year on its vadose zone-groundwater cleanup project at Hanford nuclear reservation, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said. "In my view, this is much needed to deal with health and safety matters at Hanford," said Wyden, D-Ore., Monday. "My view is the department has been stonewalling on problems with the vadose zone for a long time."

Congressional auditors last year accused DOE of mishandling the problem of underground storage tanks leaking nuclear waste into the vadose zone, the subterranean space between the ground's surface and the aquifer 230 feet below. Sixty-seven of Hanford's 177 underground are believed to have leaked more than a million gallons of radioactive waste into the soil and groundwater, threatening the Columbia River. (more)

Hanford whistleblower loses fight to learn names on FBI documents
Tri-City Herald -- March 31, 1999
The last legal skirmish ended Friday in Hanford whistleblower Ed Bricker's attempts to obtain the contents of a file the FBI kept on him. Now, Bricker is pondering whether he wants to reopen litigation against former Hanford lead contractor Rockwell International and its successor, Westinghouse Hanford Co., in a case that was settled in 1994.

The issue began in 1982, when Bricker raised safety concerns about plutonium production at Hanford. In 1986, the Department of Energy ordered Rockwell to shut down plutonium operations because of such safety concerns. A then-Rockwell vice president had launched "Special Item - Mole," a plan to arrange for what was described as the "timely termination" of Bricker. In 1990, Bricker had proved he was being systematically harassed in retaliation, the U.S. Department of Labor ruled. (more)

Advisory panel calls for impact study to decide FFTF restart
Tri-City Herald -- April 1, 1999
A deeply divided advisory committee recommended Wednesday that Energy Secretary Bill Richardson conduct a full-blown environmental impact study to determine whether to restart Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility reactor. Richardson had indicated he would make a decision on what to do with FFTF by today. But department officials indicated it may be several weeks before the secretary makes up his mind.

The reactor, built as part of the nation's now-canceled breeder reactor program, was placed on standby after it ran out of missions. Richardson has ruled out using FFTF to produce tritium, a radioactive gas used to boost the power of nuclear weapons. But supporters of restarting the reactor say it could be used to produce medical isotopes, plutonium 238 to power engines aboard spacecraft or for unspecified national security related programs. (more)

Panel warns of medical isotope shortage
Tri-City Herald -- April 2, 1999
The United States needs to be more aggressive about producing isotopes for nuclear medicine or risk a shortage, say scientists and doctors asked to advise the Department of Energy. The panel concluded DOE and the National Institutes of Health must develop the capability of producing a diverse supply of medical isotopes in large quantities for research and clinical use. "Such a capability would prevent shortages of isotopes, reduce American dependence on foreign radionuclide sources and stimulate biomedical research," the report said. (more)

Wyden as parrot not a pretty sight
Tri-City Herald editorial -- April 1, 1999
It is unfortunate that Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is unaware that there are those who perceive him as a parrot on Gerald Pollet's shoulder. Wyden's letter to the Department of Energy, urging an end to the standby status of the Fast Flux Test Facility, merely echoes the sentiments expressed by Pollet, of Heart of America Northwest, just as earlier Wyden speeches seemed to parrot Pollet almost word for word on the same subject. Two Washington representatives co-signed the letter to Richardson with Wyden -- Democrats Adam Smith and Brian Baird. (more)

HAB advice on tank waste program
Hanford Advisory Board -- March 26, 1999
First, the Board is extremely disappointed in the lack of agency action in developing Tri-Party Agreement milestones [cleanup deadlines]. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) have been incapable of developing TPA milestones regulating the tank waste treatment program. While the Board discourages repeated revisions to the TPA, the current milestones in no way reflect DOE's present program direction. TPA milestones remain the single most important cleanup driver at Hanford. Quoting past Board advice, "Without milestones today, this program may not have a tomorrow" (HAB Advice #90).

Second, and related to the TPA, the agencies have failed to conduct a comprehensive, substantive and timely public involvement program in support of the evolving tank waste efforts. Public involvement on DOE's plans for tank waste has not taken place since the Tank Waste Treatment Remediation System (TWRS) environmental impact statement (EIS) over three years ago. Without the groundswell of support that sound public involvement can bring, this expensive program is in jeopardy. (more)

Hanford glassification project may be speeded up
Spokane.net – March 27, 1999
The just-appointed manager of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation's new Office of River Protection believes the schedule for turning radioactive tank wastes into glass can be accelerated. Dick French was named manager of the office -- the revamped and consolidated tank farms department -- on Tuesday. The current deadline for starting that process is 2007.

The Office of River Protection will supervise BNFL Inc.'s building and operating of the glassification plants, plus Lockheed Martin Hanford Corp.'s handling of tank safety and preparing wastes for glassification. (more)

Tri-parties response to public comments
Hanford Advisory Board – March 26, 1999
Citizens have played a key role in helping guide Hanford cleanup decisions. Given the consequences of a less-than-successful cleanup, and the fact that opportunities for formal comment and to influence cleanup decisions are limited, it is imperative that the Tri-Parties respond quickly, clearly and directly to public comments, concerns and suggestions.

Certain public involvement activities are already required of each of the Tri-Parties. We believe the following recommendations are consistent with these requirements, and will result in better opportunities for the public to participate in cleanup decisions, and to better understand how and whether public input is considered. (more)

March is nuclear weapons de-alerting action month!
Alliance for Nuclear Accountability – March, 1999
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, has designated March, 1999, as Back from the Brink: Nuclear Weapons De-alerting Action Month. We ask you to join us in efforts to educate ourselves and the public about the urgent need to de-alert the nuclear arsenal.

Despite the end of the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia remain ready to launch more than 5,000 nuclear warheads on less than half-an-hour's notice. This hair-trigger alert policy leaves the world at grave risk from nuclear war by accident or miscalculation. The danger is escalating as Russia's political and economic instability have led to deterioration of its early warning systems and nuclear materials controls. The Year 2000 computer problem may compromise weapons command systems as well. (more)

New generation of nuclear weapons from radioactive waste
Jane's Defence Weekly -- March 31, 1999
Washington's Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has detailed how materials found in radioactive nuclear waste can be used to make nuclear weapons. In an exclusive interview David Albright, head of ISIS, told Jane's Defence Weekly that there are two man-made elements of particular concern - neptunium 237 and americium 241 - both of which are by-products of nuclear power stations. He believes neptunium 237 may already have been used in nuclear weapons. (more)

N-energy running out of steam
desertnews.com -- March 28, 1999
Since the Three Mile Island accident in Middletown, Pa., 20 years ago March 28, American attitudes toward nuclear power have been characterized by paralyzing ambivalence and mood swings. No new plants have been ordered since 1978, the year before the accident. Virtually no one in the industry can imagine building one in the foreseeable future. Yet it is not runaway chain reactions, but exploding costs that have jeopardized this $43 billion a year business.

The nation has quietly let 21 atomic reactors — 17 percent of its total — shut down. The nuclear industry still supplies about a fifth of the country's electricity — second only to coal. But the Energy Department predicts that nuclear power could wither away almost entirely over the next 20 years. Public support for more advances in nuclear energy has slipped from 70 percent before Three Mile Island to 43 percent in 1997, according to Roper Starch Worldwide, the polling company. (more)

Nuclear power - unsafe, dirty and expensive
Post-Gazette – March 28, 1999
It is well known that nuclear power production creates the deadliest and longest living wastes known to man. The technology to safely dispose of this waste has yet to be developed and it is becoming increasingly clear that safe storage is simply impossible to achieve. Nuclear plants only seem safe because government safety standards and Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight have been too lax. There are problems at U.S. nuclear plants just about every day, ranging from incidental to serious.

A gas-fired plant can be built for $350 per kilowatt (kw); wind turbines are being installed at less than $1,000/kw. A nuclear plant costs $3,000 to $4,000 per kw to build. Nuclear fuel is relatively cheap compared to other fuels, but only if you ignore spent fuel permanent storage costs. When these and plant decommissioning costs are included, nuclear power is prohibitively more expensive, on a total cost basis, than other energy sources. (more)

Despite spin, revival isn't very likely
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- March 28, 1999
A national survey of voters, released on March 22 by the Sustainable Energy Coalition, found that six out of 10 voters opposed the construction of more reactors in the United States. Given a choice as to how their electricity is produced, 62 percent would pick renewable energy options while only 6 percent wanted nuclear power as their power source. Finally, a weighty 67 percent said that an accident similar to that at Three Mile Island was likely to happen again in the United States. (more)