The toxic legacy of nuclear weapons production is a pressing but unresolved problem, with the United States government leaving behind 54 million gallons of radioactive sludge for future generations to deal with at the Hanford Site in Washington State, a major plutonium processing facility during the Cold War.
These tanks are now leaking, and the waste is seeping into the groundwater and the Columbia River.
The cleanup efforts at Hanford, marked by failures, budget constraints, and disagreements among experts, pose significant challenges and need a renewed commitment from the federal government, the public and the Department Of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
News reports have come out that the DOE and EPA are working together behind closed doors to develop a plan for the long-term disposal of radioactive waste at Hanford. But this plan may include compromises that could undermine the quality and the speed of the cleanup.
That’s why we’re sending a message to the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency right now. Sign and tell Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm & Administrator of EPA Michael Regan to prioritize the quality and speed of the cleanup of the Hanford Site. It's time to take a firm stance that there is no halfway solution when it comes to nuclear waste cleanup
The Yakama Nation, whose ancestral lands once included the Hanford Site, has been left to grapple with the consequences of nuclear waste ravaging their lands. Indigenous peoples, who were promised the right to hunt and fish on healthy lands in their 1855 treaty, have been severely let down by the federal government.
"Before the Manhattan Project, there was a handshake agreement that this area would be returned to the way it was. How can we agree to leave the poison in the land?" – Trina Sherwood, a cultural specialist in the tribe’s natural resources department.
This radioactive dilemma extends beyond the borders of Hanford and the Yakama Nation. There are other nuclear weapons sites across the country that also face the grim choice of embarking on costly, decades-long cleanups or leaving a significant amount of waste in place.
The enormity of the task at hand well surpasses the allocated funding by leaving a significant gap between the resources available and the actual requirements for a comprehensive cleanup.
This is an issue of public health, environmental integrity, and moral duty. Nuclear waste is not just a localized issue — it impacts us all. It is silent and deadly and its impact on our environment persists to this day.
Call on Secretary Granholm & Administrator Regan to ensure the highest standards of cleanup and protect future generations from the hazards of nuclear waste.
Together, we can make a lasting positive impact on our environment and ensure the well-being of our communities.
Thank you for working for peace,
Abbey, Raimy, Shayna and the Win Without War team
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