Planning to move to Richland(Tr-cities) - Please help (Seattle: cheap house, living in)

[Nevermind999]

I got a Job offer to work in an Engineering Firm in Richland and I was wondering how bad is the Nuclear Contimination(if there is any) in the Richland area that will effect the people living there. I have been researching the net about the leaking of 77 underground Nuclear Waste tanks into the ground water. Is this effecting or will effect the people living in the that area, Is there any reports of radiation exposures etc. I am living in Alberta at the moment and want to move some place warmer.
Any input will be appreciated.
TIA

[wythors]

I grew up in the Tri-Cities between 1965 and 1977. My father died of Multiple Myeloma in 1995. MM is a formerly rare cancer of the bone marrow that is becoming increasingly common among the population around the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. I believe that the Seattle Times did an article on the problem in the late 90's.

edit: I was able to find a couple of items in the P-I. Here are the most pertinent: Nuclear workers need protection Hanford study finds high risk in low radiation The previous article that I was thinking of was a large, multi-page Sunday paper expose type of thing detailing the increase in MM in Hanford "downwinders".

[M3 Mitch]

I live in nearby Prosser, about 40 miles away from Richland, it's upwind (generally) and upstream of Hanford. (Part of my reason for living there instead of in town is to be damn sure I wasn't getting any Hanford contamination in my groundwater, air, etc.) Kennewick and Pasco are alternatives to Richland itself, and there are houses available in unincorporated areas as well. (We actually live in the country between Prosser and Mabton).

To answer the original question though, the Richland water system is monitored for radioactive materials, (and all ground water contains some radioactive elements, not much but it is measurable) and unless I am mistaken it's well within limits for drinking water.

To be blunt the Seattle papers do sensationalize whatever they can come up with about Hanford.

I personally like this area, lot of educated people, warm/hot dry summer, mild (usually) winter, not too crowded. But it depends on what you want. It is a desert area and the scenery outside of town is sagebrush.

[Nevermind999]

I am ok with the scenery outside the town. I think the scenery there will still be better than what we see here in Alberta during 6 months of winter.

[anna330]

hi nevermind. what have you decided to do? i am canadian also, formerly from vancouver but now living in honolulu. i am also considering moving to tri-cities. i went there this summer to check it out and i really loved it. the scenery is beautiful, the people are nice, cheap houses (anything is cheap compared to honolulu) and still lots of sunshine. have you been there to check it out yet? hope to hear from you.

[Ron House]

We just moved to Richland from SoCall and live in the Horn Rapids area. It is very nice, the homes are incredibly inexpensive by SoCal standards and all of the people are incredible nice. Lots of well educated people here. Only one complaint and that is the amount of medical care available. Very small by SoCal standards and we are having some difficulty in that area.
Otherwise I would never leave here...Hanford or not...That warm glow is very nice...LOL

ROn House