HIGH-LEVEL WASTE INTERPRETATION
Local governments around Hanford Site ask Secretary Granholm to support DOE’s efforts to continue evaluating HLW interpretation
ECA Staff | 3/4/2021
Yesterday local leaders in the communities hosting and immediately adjacent to the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site joined Richland councilman and Chairman of the Hanford Communities, Bob Thompson, in a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in support of DOE efforts to continue evaluating the High Level Radioactive Waste Interpretation. The letter, signed also by the mayors of the City of
Kennewick, the City of Richland, the City of Pasco, and the City of West Richland, the chairs of the Benton County Commission, the Port of Benton Commission, the Franklin County Commission and the President and CEO of the Tri-City Development Council, states, “We believe applying the HLW Interpretation at Hanford represents perhaps the single greatest opportunity to expedite cleanup and reduce risks to the Tri-Cities…”
The letter identifies that while a full site-specific evaluation of applying the HLW Initiative at Hanford has yet to be done, the State of Washington is already asking for DOE to rescind the Interpretation. The local governments, noting support from a range of experts that this science-and risk based approach to defining waste based on radiological characteristics rather than origin is a viable alternative, believe applying the Interpretation can increase safety, protect human health and
the environment by moving waste out of the State more expeditiously, and save billions of taxpayer dollars. They urge DOE to work with the State of Washington and other impacted stakeholders to pursue a stepwise approach to prove out the concept and meaningfully address all concerns.
The letter is available in full below:
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"Dear Secretary Granholm,
Congratulations on your recent confirmation as Secretary of Energy. We have been very encouraged by your interest in supporting the research, development and deployment of advanced energy technologies, and by your stated commitment to cleanup of the Hanford Site. The Tri-City community looks forward to partnering with you on both of these efforts in the coming years.
By way of introduction, Hanford Communities represents the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and West Richland, along with Benton County, Franklin County, and the Port of Benton on Hanford cleanup- related issues. Hanford Communities partners closely with the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), which has advocated for the policies and funding needed to advance Hanford missions since 1963. Combined, we represent the over 300,000 people in the Tri-City area, which sits immediately adjacent
and downstream of the Hanford Site. Our community stands to be far more impacted by potential public health and safety threats at Hanford than others, and as such we have a uniquely vested interest in the safe, timely and successful nuclear waste remediation effort.
We write to express our support for the Department of Energy’s efforts to continue evaluating its high-level radioactive waste (HLW) interpretation. We believe this science and risk-based approach to nuclear waste management – one that bases disposition decisions on the actual radiological characteristics of the waste rather than simply where the waste originated – can be more protective of human health and the environment in the Tri-Cities by reducing the amount of time it is stored untreated
on site. The safety of our community is paramount, and we believe the HLW interpretation has the potential to make our community safer.
To that end, we were disappointed to learn of the letter you recently received signed by two State of Washington officials asking you to rescind the HLW interpretation before it has even been evaluated at Hanford. It is important for you to understand that, unfortunately, we do not believe our state government speaks for or represents the best interests of the Tri-Cities on Hanford-related matters. Conversely, we believe the State of Washington’s insistence on the status quo at Hanford, combined
with delays caused by their regulatory approach, only serves to increase the risks to our community.
Moreover, the letter inaccurately states that the HLW interpretation is not science-based, when in fact the policy has been supported by experts on the 2012 Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Energy Future (BRC), the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and six Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories. The interpretation also brings the United States in line
with international standards for the classification of nuclear waste as recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Considering that so many experts agree with the scientific merits of the HLW interpretation, and that it has the potential to make our community safer and expedite cleanup, we are perplexed as to why our own state government refuses to even consider exploring the potential benefits of this policy.
Additionally, DOE officials have publicly committed multiple times to work closely with the regulators, state and local government officials, tribes, and other stakeholders before changing or revising any current policies, legal requirements, or agreements with respect to Hanford’s waste. Department officials have provided multiple opportunities for input thus far, even issuing a Supplemental Federal Register Notice on June 10, 2019, outlining public comments received and providing additional
information about its interpretation informed by the public input.
As we look to the future, we have been watching with great interest as the HLW interpretation was successfully applied to a small amount of waste at DOE’s Savannah River Site (SRS). We would note that the evaluation process provided opportunities for regulator and public input, and that the waste is now permanently stored outside of South Carolina. We request that DOE pursue a similar stepwise approach at Hanford, which in addition to potentially proving out the concept, will allow the
Department to work with the State of Washington and the Yakama Nation to address their concerns about the interpretation.
Successful cleanup efforts across the DOE complex have been predicated on a genuine effort by DOE, its regulators, and key stakeholders to reach alignment and consensus on a path forward. No cleanup project is more challenging than Hanford, and nowhere is this alignment more critical. Unfortunately, despite our efforts to encourage State of Washington officials to work with DOE, we have not seen any evidence to indicate that they are willing to do so. We are hopeful, however, that with a new
administration and under your leadership, DOE will be able to bring the State of Washington back to the table in good faith.
In closing, we encourage you to continue DOE’s thoughtful, measured, and science-based approach to defining defense nuclear waste, and would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you further. We believe applying the HLW interpretation at Hanford represents perhaps the single greatest opportunity to expedite cleanup and reduce risks to the Tri-Cities while transforming our community into a pilot for tomorrow’s clean energy future."
View the full letter with enclosures in PDF format here.
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
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