In August, our comments documented that this proposal has potential significant environmental and health impacts – particularly in event of an accident – that have never been considered. Yet, there was no Environmental Impact Statement or any review of impacts for the public to review and comment on, as required by NEPA and SEPA.
We were right.
This proposal would use an unshielded, mobile processing unit in what is the equivalent of a shipping container alongside the High Level Waste Tanks to remove extremely radioactive Cesium before the tank waste is piped to the vitrification plant.
The risks from unshielded Tank Side Cesium Removal, including from accidents, air emissions and storage of the Cesium, were never considered in the massive EIS USDOE prepared for its vitrification plans back in 2012.
If you are on the Hanford Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) email notice list, you received an email today announcing that Ecology was reopening the comment period because Tank Side Cesium Removal has potential significant environmental impacts but there was no NEPA and SEPA review of those impacts for you to consider in commenting in August.
Recognition of potential impacts is step one.
Ecology’s notice says: “Ecology has determined this proposal is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment.”
However, rather than require USDOE to prepare a supplemental EIS that specifically looks at the risks from processing High Level Waste to remove Cesium in an unshielded mobile unit prior to vitrification, Ecology is adopting a previously published USDOE supplement that never considered the potential accident risks from an unshielded mobile “Tank Side Cesium Removal” process.
We’ll be asking for a full Supplemental EIS considering risks from accidents and considering an alternative to build a shielded building with proper emission monitoring and controls for this dangerous activity.
