Hanford facility leaking radioactive wastes

[Don Zweifel <zweifel@chapman.edu>]

Condensed reprint of press release from Register news services.

"New studies indicate radioactive wastes are leaking from underground
storage tanks (USTs) at the Hanford, Wash. DOE installation and have
reached groundwater," (EPA?) officials said Tues., 25 Nov.'97.

There is "a fairly compelling suite of evidence" that contaminants have
reached the principle aquifer about 230 feet below the tanks in the center
of the 560 sq. mile reservation, stated Mike Thompson, Hanford's ground
water mgr at a news conference in Richland, Wash.

"At least 67 of the 177 USTs are suspected to have leaked," Hanford mgr
John Wagoner said.

This tank farm still contains about 54 million gallons of (extremely
hazardous) waste which are byproducts from over four decades of production
of plutonium for nuclear weaponry at Hanford.

 Don Zweifel

Source: Orange County Register wire services