re: Hanford Site Cleanup Standards

[Steven Dapra <sjd@swcp.com>]

Sept. 2



Bill Lipton wrote:



	"The current doctrine of environmental accountability is not limited to

the nuclear industry. Look at what GE is facing, having to clean up the

Hudson River where there are PCB's from its operations."



	Yes, and I have heard that disturbing these deposited PCBs may cause the

Hudson to become more contaminated with PCBs than it already is.  Who will

be accountable for that?  Certainly not the tree-huggers who demanded it,

or the regulators who crammed it down GE's throat.



	He wrote:



	"Legislation and public opinion have determined that current conditions at

Hanford, and several other sites, are not acceptable, and must be

remediated.  You may think otherwise, but that's largely irrelevant."



	Science and reason have been trumped by legislation and public opinion --

whatever the latter is.   Is it the people who can make the most racket,

and make the most extravagant (and false) claims?  Right or wrong are

irrelevant -- the legislator is king.



	Bill also wrote:



	"Lesson learned:  When undertaking a potentially hazardous activity, it's

not 'good enough' to comply with the current regulations."



	What do you suggest, Bill?  That commerce and industry comply with

regulations that haven't been written?  That aren't even a gleam in the eye

of a bottom-feeding lawyer?  How many companies are you willing to see

forced into bankruptcy because they couldn't predict what some

lawsuit-loving treehugger, regulator, or legislature might do in the

unforseeable future?



Steven Dapra

sjd@swcp.com





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