Public has till Jan. 9 to comment on DOE proposal to abandon high-level radioactive wastes in situ

In response to a request by 76 environmental groups, including Beyond Nuclear, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted until January 9, 2019 for the public to comment on the agency's proposal to deregulate high-level radioactive wastes, and allow for their abandonment in situ, at such places as Hanford Nuclear (Weapons) Reservation on the Columbia River in Washington State, the West Valley reprocessing facility upstream of the Great Lakes in New York, etc.

For more info., including instructions on how to submit comments, see DOE's Federal Register Notice. Sample comments you can use to prepare your own will be posted here, at the top of Beyond Nuclear's Radioactive Waste website section, ASAP.

Update on December 13, 2018 by admin

Here is a bit more background:

Hazardous High-Level Radioactive Waste Becomes So-Called "Low-Level" with the Orwellian Stroke of a Pen

The Trump Department of Energy has proposed linguistic de-toxification for some of the most highly radioactive hazardous wastes in the country, such as sludge in underground storage tanks at Hanford Nuclear (Weapons) Reservation in Washington State. In other words, in situ abandonment of high-level radioactive waste, which will eventually leak into the environment, to flow downstream, blow downwind, and harm people, up the food chain, and down the generations.

DOE got away with this at Savannah River Site, South Carolina and Idaho National Lab beginning in 2004, thanks to the dirty work of U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC). But now DOE is attempting to extend the dangerous practice to Hanford, Washington and West Valley, New York, the latter putting Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River -- drinking water for many millions in the U.S., Canada, and Native American First Nations -- at high risk. Anti-nuclear activists are working hard to prevent this from happening.

Update on December 13, 2018 by admin

Here is news coverage on this issue:

Dec. 10, 2018

Associated Press -"Trump plan to reclassify nuke waste alarms environmentalists";

Nov. 29, 2018 

• Bloomberg - Plan to Leave Buried Nuclear Bomb Waste Underground Draws Fire - Ari Natter;

Nov. 20, 2018

The State - Wyden: Public needs more time to study nuke waste proposal - The Associated Press;

Nov. 19, 2018

Tri-City Herald - U.S. senator joins nationwide call for caution on Hanford waste change - By Annette Cary;

Nov. 9, 2018

Carlsbad Current-Argus - Nuclear host communities weigh in on waste characterization - Adrian C Hedden;

Dec. 14, 2018

• Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Our View: Hanford's clean-up efforts not a place to save money - Josh Babcock
• Vancouver Columbian - In Our View: Feds, Clean up Hanford Mess - Federal Government Must Stop Shirking Its Responsibilities At Nuclear Reservation

EnviroNews/DC Bureau

Update on December 13, 2018 by admin

Check out these warnings from Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, re: the high-risk of abandonment, in situ, of high-level radioactive waste sludge, as so-called "Waste Incidental to Reprocessing," WIR -- in other words, so-called "low-level" radioactive waste:

• Nuclear Dumps by the Riverside: Threats to the Savannah River from Radioactive Contamination at the Savannah River Site March, 2004

• What the DOE Knows it Doesn’t Know about Grout October, 2004

Such warnings were ignored by the U.S. Senate in mid-2004, when it voted to designate high-level radioactive waste sludge at Savannah River Site, SC and Idaho National Lab as WIR, allowing its grouting in place, and abandonment in situ.

Update on January 3, 2019 by admin

Tom Carpenter of Hanford Challenge has published an op-ed in the Seattle Times.

Update on January 3, 2019 by admin

NIRS has put out an action alert entitled "Don't Let DOE Sweep Nuclear Waste Under the Rug!" Please fill out the NIRS webform and submit it to DOE ASAP!

Update on January 7, 2019 by admin

Updated - Monday, January 07, 2019

Tri-City Herald - Feds say some Hanford radioactive waste is not so dangerous. Oregon disagrees - By Annette Cary

Update on January 8, 2019 by admin

Updated - Tuesday, January 08, 2019

• The Washington Post - State of Washington opposes federal nuke waste proposal - By Nicholas K. Geranios, AP
• KOMO News - State opposes federal plan to reclassify Hanford nuclear waste - By Associated Press
• Tri-City Herald - Feds are downplaying the dangers of Hanford radioactive waste, says Gov. Inslee - By Annette Cary

Update on January 9, 2019 by admin

• KOMO News - State opposes federal plan to reclassify Hanford nuclear waste - By Associated Press [Jan. 8, 2018]

Update on January 9, 2019 by admin

Carolyn Bower, a retired reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, submitted public comments to DOE, urging that high-level radioactive waste NOT be deregulated and abandoned in situ, to eventually leak into the environment, harming people downstream, downwind, up the food chain, and down the generations.

Three decades ago, Bower wrote about the history of uranium processing and the legacy of radioactive wastes in the St. Louis region.

In 2015, Bower teamed up with Beyond Nuclear board of directors president, Kay Drey, to publish a pamphlet about the risks of illegally dumped Manhattan Project radioactive wastes at West Lake Landfill in metro St. Louis, in the floodplain of the Missouri River.

Update on January 9, 2019 by admin

Mining Awareness has published an alert and backgrounder.

Update on January 9, 2019 by admin

• Updated - Wednesday, January 09, 2019
• Antelope Valley Press - Washington opposes nuke waste proposal
• The Independent - Trump administration wants to reclassify leaking nuclear waste to avoid cleaning it up, say officials - Josh Gabbatiss, Science Correspondent

Update on January 10, 2019 by admin

Barbara Warren of Citizens' Environmental Coalition in New York State has circulated the 

FINAL LETTER TO DOE regarding High Level Waste at West Valley

submitted by a coalition of 42 organizations (including Beyond Nuclear), to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), re: its proposed "re-interpretation" (gutting) of regulations applicable to high-level radioactive waste storage, management, and disposal.

The letter focused on the catastrophic impacts that would unfold at the long-closed (but badly contaminated) West Valley, NY reprocessing facility, if DOE goes forward with its deregulation of high-level radioactive waste. Not only New York State defenders of Lakes Erie and Ontario endorsed the coalition comments, but so too did Great Lakes protectors across the Basin.

Update on January 31, 2019 by admin

• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - "Incidental" nuclear waste: reconceiving a problem won't make it go away - By Allison Macfarlane