6 tanks at Hanford nuclear site in Wash. leaking

[No Elephants]

Feb 22, 9:33 PM EST

6 tanks at Hanford nuclear site in Wash. leaking

By SHANNON DININNY
Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- Six underground tanks that hold a brew of radioactive and toxic waste at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site are leaking, federal and state officials said Friday, prompting calls for an investigation from a key senator.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the leaking material poses no immediate risk to public safety or the environment because it would take a while - perhaps years - to reach groundwater.

But the leaking tanks raise new concerns about delays for emptying them and strike another blow to federal efforts to clean up south-central Washington's Hanford Nuclear Reservation, where successes often are overshadowed by delays, budget overruns and technological challenges.

Department of Energy spokeswoman Lindsey Geisler said there was no immediate health risk and said federal officials would work with Washington state to address the matter.

Regardless, Tom Towslee, a spokesman for Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the senator will be asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate Hanford's tank monitoring and maintenance program.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HANFORD_LEAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-02-22-21-33-16

Possibly the most toxic Friday night news dump ever. Hard to choose, though, if you use the word "toxic" figuratively as well as literally,

[Enthusiast]

1. We just don't have the money to deal with this right now.

Blame Obama for spending too much. Wildly spending! Do I need the sarcasm thingie?

[No Elephants]

2. Nope.

But, notice how it's our job to deal with it.

I didn't make any profits from those plants. Did you?

[Enthusiast]

3. No profit here.

We are facing a full on crisis with regard to nuclear waste and leaky facilities. I'm sure the profitless will have to bear responsibility.

[No Elephants]

4. The DLC foresaw this long ago and began including nuclear plants

with bridges and roads as "infrastructure," as though the plants had been government-built and were government-owned, like roads and bridges.

Yet another way to transfer wealth from one class to another. So little "wealth" left among the 99%, though. They want every damn cent. Then, they'll crank up the price of food and starve people to death.