To the Editor:
Until the effective handling of radioactive waste is figured out, Portlanders should never encourage nuclear power.
There are 177 leaking tanks of high-level nuclear waste from World War II stored “temporarily” at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation 220 miles up the Columbia River.
There are no approved permanent storage sites for this 75-year-old waste as well as newly created waste from nuclear power plants including the Columbia Generating Station (CGS) that is situated on the river running through the Hanford Reservation near the Tri-Cities.
Formerly called WPN-2, CGS is one of the five nuclear power plants planned under the Washington Public Power Supply System or frequently referred to as WPPSS (pronounced “whoops!”). The waste just keeps pilling up in temporary dry casks.
Hanford Reservation has 11 earthquake fault lines running underneath, and a river system which houses 32 dams including one of the oldest and largest dams in the US, the Grand Coulee, already beyond its engineered life.
In 1822, a 7.4 earthquake occurred with the epicenter 20 miles from the present-day Grand Coulee Dam. Â
Further concern is that CGS was engineered by GE, a boiling water reactor Mark 2. Fukushima’s fateful nuclear power plant was a GE Mark 1. Both are beyond their engineered life.
Portlanders along with those that live in Oregon and Washington areas like Hood River, Richland and Kenniwick are in great danger of the current waste (old and new) being swept down the river contaminating our water and air.
Nancy Matela
To the Editor:
I’m writing to thank the Editor for the subscription mailing service of The Southeast Examiner. I’m a long-time reader and Mt. Tabor resident, and feel The Examiner is a vital source of information about our SE neighborhoods.
My home delivery was interrupted when I moved to a new address which didn’t meet the postal service criteria for bulk delivery (due to an additional ADU address). The subscription mailing service means I can continue to enjoy home delivery. Many thanks!
Nancy Lynn
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor should be less than 300 words and The SE Examiner reserves the right to edit them for length or content.