SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown has formally opposed the U.S. Department of Energy’s plan to transport liquid radioactive waste through the city, according to a letter sent Thursday from the mayor’s office.
In the communication, Brown cited significant public safety and environmental concerns as the basis for her opposition.
According to the mayor’s letter, the Department of Energy seeks to establish a regular transportation route for low-activity radioactive waste from the Hanford Nuclear Site to disposal facilities in Texas and Utah.
The letter states that officials rerouted planned shipments through Spokane after partners in Oregon expressed concerns about the risks associated with transporting such materials through their communities.
“Transporting untreated liquid waste through the heart of Spokane poses serious risks to our residents, roads, and river,” Mayor Brown stated in the letter. “Spokane should not be put in danger for the sake of convenience or cost-saving measures. If this material must be moved, it should be grouted and stabilized before coming close to our city.”
The mayor’s opposition follows what she described as a recent test transport conducted by the DOE.
Brown emphasized in her letter that if shipments must be routed through Spokane, the radioactive waste should first undergo a process called grouting at the Hanford site before transfer.
According to environmental experts, grouting solidifies liquid waste, making it more stable and significantly less hazardous to transport.
What are your thoughts or concerns about transporting radioactive waste through Spokane?
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