Radioactive Waste -- Purex Tunnel Grouting -- Tunnel 2 -- Public Comment Period is Open

Public comments are open.   Some of the comments are pretty interesting, some are mundane, or just plain ineffective, or focusing on silly technicalities.     I liked the comment 2 steps below, which threatens officials with prosecution for waste fraud abuse.
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PUREX Storage Tunnels Permit Modification Public Hearing Reminder

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is currently holding a 45-day public comment period starting August 13 through September 27, 2018.  This comment period will address proposed modifications to the Dangerous Waste Portion for the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal of Dangerous Waste for the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant Storage Tunnels.   The Permittee(s) are U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations and CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company. The PUREX facility is located on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. 

Attending the Public Hearing

On August 27 at 5:30 p.m., Ecology is holding it first public hearing on the PUREX storage tunnels at the Richland Public Library.   This hearing will give members of the public an opportunity to voice their comments and concerns.  We will also have a WebEx connection available for people to call in or connect by computer. 

To connect through the WebEx meeting please use the information below.

Join WebEx meeting (click link)

Join by phone
+1-240-454-0887 US Toll 

Host room ID number (access code): 801 491 108

Meeting password:  Ecology2018

Problems? Contact support.  

There will be a second hearing on September 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Washington - Center for Urban Horticulture, NHS Hall, 3501 NE 41^st St., Seattle.  This hearing will give members of the public an opportunity to voice their comments and concerns but will not include a WebEx connection.

How to Comment

Ecology invites you to review and comment on this proposed PUREX Storage Tunnels Permit Modification.  Copies of the proposed modification are located in the Administrative Record and Information Repositories.  In addition, the proposed modification is online at https://www.ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics/Nuclear-waste/Public-comment-periods.

Please submit comments by September 27, 2018.  Electronic submission (preferred):

http://wt.ecology.commentinput.com/?id=7mped

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Daina McFadden

3100 Port of Benton Blvd

Richland WA 99354

Fax 509-372-7971

For more information contact:

Daina McFadden
Hanford@ecy.wa.gov
509-372-7950

For more information, contact:

Stephanie Schleif

Hanford@ecy.wa.gov

(509)372-7950

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"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice"
from the Song "Freewill" by Rush

By pretending that "final cleanup" can still happen if this tunnel is grouted, you are very disrespectfully destroying our Freewill. In order to make a claim that "it can still be cleaned up even after grouting" there needs to be more than just a statement. There needs to be a cost estimate, and to make it valid, a cost estimate by a remediation contractor than can be held legally valid for an extended period of time, even 10 to 20 years, allowing annual inflation adjustments of course.

This then becomes a "reasonable argument". It may cost $10M now to cleanup and store these vehicles and who knows whatever other barrels of waste were thrown on them as an easy way to get rid of contaminated stuff. Has anyone put a camera in there? Do you really know what the Inventory is?

But after grouting, a future cleanup might cost $800M. That then would be an irresponsible way to spend OUR tax dollars. It is irresponsible to make this type of decision based solely on assertions. I would say this case is so clear and so obvious that anyone participating or allowing a decision to grout, without a full financial analysis should be prosecuted under waste fraud and abuse laws.

The excuse that "a final cleanup plan" is not in place, is a weak excuse. The final cleanup plan needs to be set now under both scenarios, and then solid costing and financial analysis needs to be done.

------------------------------------------- Full Lyrics by Rush



There are those who think that life
Has nothing left to chance
A host of holy horrors
To direct our aimless dance

A planet of playthings
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
The stars aren't aligned
Or the gods are malign
Blame is better to give than receive

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

There are those who think that
They've been dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren't born in Lotus-Land

All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt
That's far too fleet

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

Songwriters: Geddy Lee / Alex Lifeson / Neil Peart
Free Will lyrics © Ole Media Management Lp