EIS-0113_Section_9 - Hanford Site

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BROCK ADAMS' T-STIMONY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
JULY 15, 19B6
MR. WHITE, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, MY NAME 25
BROCK ADAMS AND I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY.
THE DISPOSAL OF HANFORD'$ 93-YEAR ACCUMULATION OF DEFENSE WASTE I9 ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES. FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR REGION. FOR OUR
GENERATION. AND FOR MANY GENERATIONS TO COME,
YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF TECHNICAL TESTIMONY AND I KNOW OTHERS
WILLHAVE MORE TO ADD BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO CONCENTRATE ON TODAY IS THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC PROCESS:
HOW TO WE DEAL WITH THIS COMPLEX ISSUE? HOW DO WE ACHIEVE REGIONAL
CONSENSUS? HOW CAN WE ENSURE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY?
AND FINALLY, HOW 00 WE 'MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS THERE TO PAY FOR THE CLEANUP
OF HANFORD'S NUCLEAR WASTE?
I'VE WATCHED CLOSELY AS YOU'VE GONE THRUUGH YOUR DEFENSE WASTE E.I.S. PUBLIC
PROCESS, AND I'D LIKE TO COMPLIMENT YOU FOR A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO TAKE THE
ISSUES TO OUR CITIZENS AND KEEP YOUR MINDS OPEN.
YOU'VE MAUE VAST IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE TRADITIONAL DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WAY
OF DOING THINGS.'
IMPRESSED
CITIZEN'S
2.3.2.12 APPOINTED BYR MIKELLAWRENCE. IT WAS AHGOOD IDEAHTOS FORMA TRULYFOINDEPENDENT
BODY OF CITIZENS TO REVIEW THE E.I.S., AND FRANKLY, IT TOOK GUTS TO INCLUDE
SEVERAL HANFORD CRITICS ON THE FORUM. "..ON MY VANTAGE POINT, IT LOOKS LIKE
THE EFFORT WILL PAY OFF. I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH SEVERAL
MEMBERS OF THE FORUM, AND THEY REPORT TO ME THAT IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT 26
CITIZENS, REPRESENTING DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND PERSPECTIVES, ARE GOING TO
REACH A CONSENSUS.
IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WILL CLOSELY PARALLEL THOSE
ARRIVEDAT INDEPENDENTLY BY THE STATES OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON. IF DOE 15
WILLING TO LIVE WITH THESE COMPROMISES - AND I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO - I
THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO ACHIEVING A REGIONAL CONSENSUS.
BELIEVE ME, WE'RE GOING. TO NEED TO BE TOGETHER AS A REGION IF WE'RE EVER
GOING TO GET CONGRESS TO APPROPRIATE THE -2 OR Z OR 11 BILLION DOLLARS IT
WILL TAKE TO CLEAN UP HANFORD.
THAT LAST POINT RAISES A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION: IN AN ERA DP
GRAMM-RUDMAN, HOW CAN WE GET THE MONEY?
RE^EhcD COE-RL.
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'^UL 18 1988 W17
6MDI1J ISION
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JUL 18 1986
WMDNISION 0072'
FIRST, WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE THAT REGIONAL CONSENSUS. SECOND, AND THIS WILL BE
ONE OF MY VERY FIRST ACTS WHEN I GO BACK TO WASHINGTON DC AS A U.S. SENATOR
NEXT JANUARY, WE MUST SECURE THE FUNDS NOW TO PROCEED WITH THE CLEANUP.. AND
FOP. FUTURE YEARS, WE MUST CREATE A TRUST FUND. CR OTHER UNTOUCHABLE SOURCE OF
MONEY TO PROVIDE FOR THE ONGOING WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES.
FOR TOO LONG, WE HAVE HIDDEN THE TRUE COST OF WEAPONS PRODUCTION BY NOT
ACCOUNTING FOR THE BILLIONS IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO SAFELY DISPOSE OF THE 2.2. L 9J
WASTE.
IF OUR NATION'S POLICY IS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD MORE OF THESE WEAPONS -- AND
I THINK WE SERIOUSLY NE E D TO QUESTION T E EE ORE -- THEN THE LEAST WE
CAN DO IS PROVIDE THE MONEY ON A CURRENT BASIS TO PAY THE TRUE COST,
INCLUDING DISPOSAL.
NOW, 50 MUCH FOR DEFENSE WASTE.ITS SHEER VOLUME AND THE PROBLEMS .WE ARE
HAVING WITH ITS SAFE DISPOSAL TIE DIRECTLY TO ANOTHER DOE DECISION INVOLVING
HANFORD.
AS WE ALL KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IS ALSO INVOLVED IN ANOTHER
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT OECISICN -- THE SITING DE TI_" NATION'S FIRST -- AND
POSSIBLY ONSY --. DEEP REPOSITORY FOR COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY NUCLEAR
WASTE.
NOW I REALIZE THAT NONE OF YOU HERE REPRESENTING THE DEPARTMENT HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE REPOSITORY DECISION. BUT I WANT YOU TO DO ME A
FAVOR.
. ^. V C
I'D. LIKE YOU TO TAKE MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ME. THE MESSAGE 1 9
THIS; WE HAVE TRIED PLAYING
SYSTEM OF SAFE MONITORED RETRIEVABLE RSTORAGE E IMRSJ A SITES E IS THE ARIGHT ANSWER 3.3.4.2
FOR THE .INTERIM OF 40 OR 50 .YEARS.
THE CITIZENS
ISSUE FEW
WERE IGNORED.
WE MUST START S DER I AND OT TRY AGAIN. CAN YOU IMAGINE ANPLACE Y IN THE
CONTINENTAL U.S. THAT IS WORSE FROM R TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE THAN
HANFORD'
THE TRANSPORTATION OF 70.000 TONS OF INTENSELY RADIOACTIVE COMMERCIAL WASTE
MAY BE THE WEAKEST LINK. IN THIS POLITICAL CHAIN REACTION.
IF YOU LIVE IN SPOKANE, OR BOISE OR MISSOULA OR EASTERN OREGON, AND HANFORD
IS SELECTED AS THE NATION'S ATOMIC LANDFILL, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR ONE HECK
OF A NUCLEAR PARADE. 1 7 5,000 TRACTOR-TRAILER TRUCKLOADS, OR MORE THAN
22.000 TRAIN LOADS OF SPENT FUEL RODS WILL PASS THROUGH THESE NORTHWEST
COMMUNITIES OVER A2B' YEAR PERIOD.
OUR FRIENDS IN OREGON. IDAHO, MONTANA AND ONEVERY NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
CORRIDOR C"GY.T TO BE JUST AS CONCERNED AS WE ARE. WE MUST UNITE WITH OTHER
STATES AFFECTED BY THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE TO GIVE US THE POLITICAL
MUSCLE WE OEVSOUS- Y DON'T HAVE TODAY IN THE U.S. SENATE.
3. 4. 2.
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