[ RadSafe ] 60 Minutes feature on Hanford last night

[Conklin, Al (DOH)]

The issues are no longer the same, or as bad as they used to be. While
DOE and its predecessors disposed of waste somewhat haphazardly over
much of Hanford's history since World War II, things are no longer as
bad as they once were.

67 of 177 high level waste tanks had leaked. The standing liquids have
been removed so further leakage will be minor until the waste can be
removed. 

Removal has started. Several of the smaller 55,000 tanks have been
pumped and a couple of the bigger 750,000 tanks also. As funding
improves, they have plans in place to do them big time, running the
waste through an evaporator to remove liquid and store in double shell
tanks until the vitrification plant is ready. (They may have to build a
few additional tanks).

Ten years ago, many of these tanks were on a watch list, for explosive
levels of hydrogen build-up, ferrocyanide, and other constituents that
made several of the tanks explosive or flammable. That has been
resolved.

Most old reactors have been cocooned, and much of the waste close to the
Columbia River has been removed and deposed of in the middle of the site
in lined trenches.

TRU waste is being removed, repackaged and shipped to WIPP.

I could go on, but that's the idea. I'm not in a position of defending
DOE. I know their faults better than most, since I regulate them (and
used to work for them). They used to be absolutely dismal in the 70s and
80s. They are orders of magnitude better now. (Well, most are anyway).

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of John Jacobus
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 5:42 AM
To: Sandy Perle; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 60 Minutes feature on Hanford last night

Sandy,
What I consider important is that after X number of years, we still have
the same issues of waste at Hanford.  With no end in sight.

--- Sandy Perle <sandyfl at earthlink.net> wrote:

> On 1 May 2006 at 13:50, John Jacobus wrote:
> 
> > I think the real issue was
> > government's wasteful spending and lack of
> contract oversight.
> 
> John,
> 
> That too was my perception. I think that the DOE spokes-person didn't 
> do himself any favours when he stated that when you have these large 
> projects, mistakes will be made, considering that they were talking 
> billions of dollars wasted and another 5 to 10 years added on after 
> scrapping most of the work due to lack of "correct"
> specifications
> and non-approval of the construction, while still continuing with 
> construction.
> 
> I don't know the facts and can only evaluate what I saw. THere are 
> those out there (and here on Radsafe) who do know more of the intimate

> details. I am sure that this episode will attract more negative media 
> attention, also considering the Chernobyl 20th Anniversary.
> 
> 


+++++++++++++++++++
"People will be shocked to see how safe it is to live in New York City."
ANDREW KARMEN, a sociology professor at John Jay College of Criminal
Justice, on murder trends in the city.

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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