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Letters and Comments for March 18, 2010
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Letters and Comments for March 18, 2010 Great performance
The Elgin Opera House production of “Footloose’’ rates among the best one could see anywhere in this nation. This small, homegrown company of dedicated performers and directors have designed a show full of exuberance, fun and talent. The singing and dancing are incredible. The lead roles are all excellent. However, be sure to get Fune Tautala to autograph your program. When he is on the “big stage” later, you will have proof that you knew him “when.” Definitely make room to see the show this Friday or Saturday.
La Grande
Comment on Hanford
March 19 is the date to have comments in on the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeastern Washington. It’s the public’s best chance to be heard. Hanford is the most radiologically and chemically contaminated site in the western hemisphere. Despite enormous effort and successes in remediating the environmental damage, there is still much to do. The first issue covered by the EIS is 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste sitting in underground tanks, which are way past their structural life. Contamination has leaked and will continue to move toward the Columbia River in large underground plumes. USDOE is proposing not to retrieve and treat the soil under these leaking tanks. That option is unacceptable. The second issue deals with waste management and bringing more waste in from other sites, the main route being I-84. As part of a legal settlement, DOE cannot accept offsite waste prior to 2022. After that date, truck and trainloads of radioactive and chemical waste could be going through our state to the Tri-Cities. Trenches of contamination exist as well as massive underground plumes of strontium, plutonium, uranium, iodine, tritium and chromium. Some are seeping into the Columbia River and impacting prime salmon spawning habitat. Models predict even higher contamination levels entering the river 1,000 years from now. It makes sense to clean this up before bringing more in. The final aspect of the EIS evaluates the decommissioning alternatives for the deactivated and unused Fast Flux Test Facility. Options range from leaving the reactor and its associated facilities in place to removing some or all of the structures. There are many higher priorities for cleanup in the near future. Comments can be simple or complicated — just let them know what you think. Direct comments to Mary Beth Burandt, U.S. Dept. of Energy, DOE Draft TC&WM EIS Comments, Office of River Protection, P.O. Box 1178, Richland, Wash., 99685. Comments may also be e-mailed to TC& This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or faxed to 1-888-795-2865. Maxine Hines Huber La Grande
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