EIS-0113_Section_11 - Hanford Site

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TESTINDNy ON HANFORD DEFENSE WASTE DEIS
July 15. 79 116
Dick Nelson
Hy new is Dick Nelson. I represent the 32nd Legislative District
of Seattle in the Washington State Legislature. and i serve as a matter
^.._ e va, t
poses require that we assume the risk and the responsibility for the
generation and storage of a significantly increased quantity of highlevel
waste.
of the State's Nuclear Waste Board. 9 wish to comment on several
issues either not addressed in or not adequately covared by the DEIS.
1 also would like to indicate that I subscribe to the comments p re -
viously made by a representative of the Nuclear Waste Board.
Quantity of TRU in Various Storage Sites
The DEIS . provides only approximate values for the quantity of TRU
radionuclides in the several Sites. g iven the .great diversity of waste
3.1.3.9
2.5.
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Future Plutonium Production and Military Waste Generation
The DEIS assures that the N Reactor and PURE% will be operated
until 1995, producing tank wastes frets. this and other DOE sources
forms and materials contaminated with TRU, and their sources, it is
understandable that precise measuremeoU of TRU activity and weight
have been difficult over the years in which TRU has accumulated.
Estimating techniques were presumably employed to arrive at the values
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corresponding to the processing of 32,00 t of N Reactor fuel. The
DEIS take, into account the precassing of an additional 2D.000 t of
irradiated uranium beyond 1995 'in response to national defense or
research and development needs' (section 3:2.2). The DEIS does not
discuss the military necessity for the future production of plutonium.
in Table 3.1 and Appendix A. One is led to the inescapable conclusion
that there must be c.osid,rable uncertainty in the values listed. What
is the probable range of activity and weight of TO for each site? The
final EIS should-indicate the probable error in the quantities of TRU
estimated and exactly nor these quantities wore re asn re d or estimated.
3.3.5
or alternatives in meeting the need which would not result in mare
waste being generated. The final EIS must add re ss the need for more
plutonium by taking into t weapons systemthat are under develt
or am candid t for deyelopeent.and which cannot be armed by
either our current plutomium stockpile or by recycling plutonium in
obsolete warheads. This most be addressed for two mesons important to
r
.7 the eitixens a Washington: (I) The total .lone of waste will determine
the need for a second geologic repository for commingled military
and comvercial waste. (2) We he. a right to know what military pur-
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rams X0
Lon g-Tarr Impacts Foll.ino Postulated Disru ptive Events
The DEIS.. does not adequately address possible climatic changes
resulting from increased carbon dioxide and trace gases in the earths
atmosphe re (the 'greenhouse effect'). Current and predicted increases
in these .gases (produced by deforestation and cambustion of fossil
fuels) could lead to the malting of the puler ice caps, a significant
inc re ase in sea level and groundwater levels, and major cli ma tic
changes. Inc re ase in precipitation would inc re ase the expected groundwa
ter recha rge, which uld speed time migration of radioactivity
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into
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3.5.6.1