http://rt.com/usa/hanford-nuclear-waste-tanks-288/
Hanford nuclear waste tanks at risk of
explosion
Published time: April 03,
2013
Workers demolish a decommissioned nuclear reactor during the cleanup operations at the Western hemisphere' most contaminated nuclear site in Hanford, Washington state (AFP Photo / Mark Ralston)
US residents near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation may be in grave danger: a nuclear safety board found that the underground tanks holding toxic, radioactive waste could explode at any minute, due to a dangerous buildup of hydrogen gas.
After Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DFNSB) about the risks posed by the nuclear site, board members relayed their concerns about the potential for hydrogen gas buildup within the walls of a tank – particularly those with double walls.
"All the double-shell tanks contain waste that continuously generates some flammable gas," the board said in a letter received by Wyden on Monday. "This gas will eventually reach flammable conditions if adequate ventilation is not provided."
The safety board had previously issued a warning about their concerns, which have not yet been addressed. In September, the board sent a letter to the Department of Energy, claiming that there were no adequate safeguards to protect against the buildup of flammable gasses inside Hanford’s waste storage tanks. The letter, which outlines the concerns shared with Sen. Wyden on Monday, was declassified on Tuesday.
If the tanks were to explode, there would be flammable releases that would “have considerable radiological consequences, endanger personnel, contaminate portions of the Tank Farms, and seriously disrupt the waste cleanup mission,” the previously classified DFNSB report states.
Hanford’s double-shelled tanks contain some of the deadliest mixtures of nuclear and chemical waste left over from World War II and Cold War-era plutonium production. The Hanford Nuclear Reservation has been a serious cause of concern, since six of the facility’s tanks were found to be leaking about 1,000 gallons of nuclear waste each year. The Department of Energy discovered the leaks years ago, but has failed to address the problem.
Last September, the safety board recommended that state and federal officials more closely monitor the tanks and increase ventilation. Federal officials have allegedly taken those recommendations into consideration and are working on a plan to address the board’s concerns, the Associated Press reports.
But despite continuous problems and public health risks associated with the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, construction of a waste treatment plant has been delayed. Such a plant would make the toxic chemicals safe for long-term disposal and would be crucial in preventing all of the radioactive waste from leaking into the ground.
The DFNSB hopes that discussing the very real possibility of an explosion will alarm Department of Energy officials and prompt them to take action. The Hanford site currently holds 56 million gallons of radioactive toxic waste that is leaking into the soil. Wyden, who chairs the Senate Energy and National Resources Committee, believes there is no time to waste in regards to the cleanup process.
"The next Secretary of Energy - Dr. Moniz - needs to understand that a major part of his job is going to be to get the Hanford cleanup back on track, and I plan to stress that at his confirmation hearing next week," Wyden said in a statement Tuesday.
The US government spends about $2 billion each year cleaning up the waste generated by the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, about one third of which goes towards the flawed design and construction of the plant. The $2 billion also makes up about one third of the federal government’s nuclear cleanup budget, and costs are only expected to rise.
Although the DFNSB and Sen. Wyden have long been emphasizing the risks created by the plant, the Department of Energy has long failed to acknowledge the severity of the problem. And after the latest warnings about the very possible risk of a nuclear explosion, the department countered the report.
“All DSTs are actively ventilated, which means they have blowers and fans to prevent hydrogen gas build-up,” the Department of Energy said in a statement. “These ventilation systems are monitored to ensure they are operating as intended.”
Wyden said he plans to ask tough questions during Moniz's confirmation hearing regarding the future of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
2 comments:
WOW !!! And TPTB just now found that out because there are no hydrogen sensors in the mine or canaries or tribles. Helen Keller could write better stuff. You Tube "Galen Winsor" there are a couple of 1+ hour tubes where he talks all about the nuclear waste scam. You know we could take the depleted fuel rods out of the H2O plants and use them in plants that heat liquid sodium. The LS plants return the "depleted" rods to useable condition and those rods could go right back into the H2O plant. After about 20 cycles (H2O -->LS -->H2O = 1 cycle) the fuel rod are completely depleted and can be hauled to a landfill and they won't turn everything chem-lite green.
Oh wait...we can't do that because President "Peanut" signed an executive order to stop that.
And the hits just keep on coming
You are referring to MOX. Ya, not a good idea and the rods aren't the problem. It is the waste itself that is. Complete different thing than Nuclear Energy going on out there. Bikini Island ring a bell? 200 Times more than what we dropped on Japan. Yes, we all know we are screwed here. That leak was our 12-20 year eviction notice. We lived through this all before. We know what is coming. Not sure why the rest of the Nation is just now catching on myself. Or could it be that GE which owned MSNBC during the investigation into our being contaminated back in the 80's has anything to do with why some Americans are still clueless to what goes on here. Amazing to me that some still don't get it. But then again since the public has been fed by the Nuclear energy sector as SAFE, Efficient and Clean technology that they have no idea the difference?? Good possibility and since both Parties are at fault for this disaster I'm sure they will continue to keep it off the radar and news. Don't want American to know just "HOW BAD THINGS REALLY ARE!" They aren't going to just come out and tell you. There is a gag order on the employees. You know "National Security and all." The residence that live here, well, don't let the news fool you. We aren't stupid. We lived with this BS for years. We know what is going on. We know we are out of time and out of money. We also know that politics itself created the disaster we now face. Wayden is right. Washington and Oregon have already been put on alert. But they do need to let those that have not lived here their whole lives know what the problem is and set the Nuclear Energy aside. This has nothing to do with Nuclear Energy except of course the Industry itself doesn't want the people to panic. When in reality explaining to the people the problem is much better than hiding it as they have done, always will do and will continue to do so. It is what it is. For those that live here. We aren't stupid. LOL We know what is coming.
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