Radioactivity from the diffusers varies with the fluctuating river level, leading The RadioActivist Campaign’s (TRAC) scientist Norm Buske to speculate there is radioactive debris in the bottom of a previously unreported Hanford discharge pipe.

On September 12th, TRAC notified the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of this discovery. On September 20th, TRAC staff joined officials of DOE, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Department of Health Radiation Protection to examine the radioactive object to assess the risk, if any, to the public and to the environment. At that time, four additional riser tubes were located.

TRAC awaits DOE’s identification of the pipe and of any procedure proposed for remediation.

TRAC’s discovery follows its recent report that radioactive waste contaminates 60% of the Hanford Reach riverbed where important salmon stocks spawn. See www.radioactivist.org for the report.

CONTACT: Moon Callison, mooncal@tscnet.com, 360.275.1351