More Nuclear Waste at Hanford— Just Say No!

Protect our future—70,000 truckloads (half a million cubic yards) of imported radioactive waste to be dumped at Hanford beginning in January 2003.

Hanford Watch says No! We refuse to accept importing more nuclear waste to Hanford. We must clean up the mess we already have.

What Can You Do?

If your health, environment, and the economy are important to you, come to a public hearing and share your comments and concerns. They are much needed!

When: July 30, 2002
Where: Portland, Oregon. Metro Regional Services Building Council Chambers 600 N.E. Grand Ave.
Time: Meeting begins 7 p.m. Informational meeting begins 6 p.m. This is your time to get familiar with current topics and ask questions to help you form ideas for comment.

Reasons why it is our responsibility to stop proposed dumping at Hanford

• Importing dangerous radioactive wastes, including transuranic wastes, which contain deadly amounts of plutonium, create greater risks for our health, our environment, and our economy!
• Transporting greater amounts of nuclear waste to Hanford creates and spreads radioactive contamination throughout our nation. The solid waste environmental impact statement fails to address these risks.
• Dumping radioactive waste into unlined trenches offers no protection from waste leeching into existing soil. Added groundwater contamination WILL further pollute our Columbia River.
• The current draft Solid Waste EIS (environmental impact statement) fails to tell the public the whole story about cumulative risks to people and the environmental impacts of waste imported to Hanford. DOE must reveal this information for a fair and legal public process.

Our priority is to stop long-term storage and/or disposal of imported wastes at Hanford. Hanford currently contains two-thirds of the nation’s high-level nuclear waste and contaminated soils. Hanford is the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere.

Hanford’s legacy

• Already some 440 billion gallons of contaminated liquids have been dumped into the ground over the past 50 years.
• Currently, Hanford has over 80% of DOE’s highly radioactive spent reactor fuel (2,100 tons).
• Hanford holds the largest volume of High-Level Radioactive wastes (58.9%) to date with the current plan being to leave much of the wastes in the tanks and call it cleanup.
• Hanford holds the largest amount of buried transuranic wastes (75,800 cubic meters).
• Hanford has the largest amount of contaminated soil and groundwater in the country.

Hanford’s proposal to import more nuclear waste does NOT exemplify "clean-up"…it is the DOE’s strategy to designate Hanford as the nation’s largest radioactive waste dump!

If you have any questions regarding this information please contact Hanford Watch at 503-232-0848 or the Oregon Office of Energy at 800-221-8035.