Hanford keeps turning up in my blogs because it is one of the most radioactively contaminated sites on Earth thanks to the Department of Defense use of the site for the development of nuclear weapons. At one point, they poured millions of gallons of radioactive liquids directly into ditches that were not even lined with plastic. There are underground tanks that are filled with a witches brew of toxic chemicals and radioactive substances that are leaking into the soil. The U.S. government is getting ready to spend a trillion dollars to upgrade U.S. nuclear weapons while Hanford goes begging for a few more billion dollars to clean up Hanford. The Department of Energy is so incompetent that they have to be hauled into court to force them to meet cleanup deadlines. The DoE is also being sued for their failure to protect the workers at Hanford.
Now it is being reported that radioactive contamination is spreading in an old complex at Hanford called the Reduction-Oxidation (REDOX) plant. The REDOX facility was used between 1952 and 1967 to remove plutonium from around twenty four thousand tons of spent uranium fuel rods for use in nuclear weapons. Currently, the REDOX facility is scheduled for demolition no earlier than 2030.The local newspaper reports that the REDOX plant is far inside the boundaries of the Hanford Reservation and does not pose a threat to public health.
The new report said that annual inspections over the past few years have found that water leaking into the building through the roof and joints has spread radioactive contamination. Evidence of animal intrusions and deteriorating asbestos was also found. There are concerns about contamination being spread by animals that get into the building, a fire that might damage the building, utility pipes bursting or the penetration of rain water.
The new report suggested that one hundred and eighty million dollars spent on "interim" cleanup of the building in the near future. Demolition of an attached building that is highly contaminated and demolition of annexes to the main building should help prevent further spread of contamination. There are also two tanks containing chemicals used to make plutonium that should be removed.
The report also suggested that reducing the spread of contamination in the REDOX building would help the DoE retain skilled workers needed to continue the cleanup and decommissioning work at Hanford. There are reports that the new Trump administration is interested in accelerating the cleanup at Hanford. It is anticipated that this may result in more federal money becoming available soon to expand cleanup efforts and hire more workers with the necessary skills.
Considering the problems that the State of Washington has had with the work of the DoE at Hanford, it would be a major improvement of the situation if the new administration actually chose to move forward more aggressively on cleaning up the radioactive contamination left over from the development of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
REDOX complex at Hanford:
