Contamination in the NW (Centralia, Pacific: bankrupt, asbestos, allergies)

[nwbound27]

Originally Posted by Aeon

I know you're probably a pro-gov't minion being a state employed teacher and you don't want to hear this, but miners and foresters, by and large, do want to do what's right by the environment. Believe it or not, they're prevented from doing the right thing much of the time by bureaucrats who are employed by the EPA or other agencies. I couldn't believe it either when it was first told to me, but I've since heard that from so many unrelated sources it's finally sunk in. As for pollution, Spokane is one of the largest cities in these united states that does not add the highly poisonous toxic chemical stew commonly referred to as fluoride to their water supply and neither do any of the nearby towns I'm aware of. There is a lot of it flowing into people's nervous systems in MT and Western WA, however. As for Hanford, I wouldn't give it a second thought. This state is very cleaned up compared with many many others.

Thanks so much for the responses. I am not pro-government and am very disillusioned by the whole mess. The governent I thought was suppose to be watching out for the greater good of all, but that is just propaganda. I think most people do not want to believe how toxic nuclear waste is, and the stuff they buried has already leaked out into the ground water and down the Columbia river. The scientists told congress that we need a place that would contain this stuff for 1 million years. ( You have got to be kidding me!) We don't have anything that will come close to that and it is ridiculous to even mess with something like that. You are also right about the flouride but god knows what else they are giving us. It is sad that anybody should have to sacrifice their health or the environment for a job, but greed it seems has taken over and the little guy is not that important. I hope I will find that place where people haven't given up or given in and geninuely care about each other!
Thanks again and God Bless!

[nwbound27]

Originally Posted by skinem

Nwbound, as a Spokane area boy who also has split time in TN (middle TN) for over 30 years now, I can tell you that there is no comparison in "cleanliness" or polluted-ness or whatever you want to call it between the two places.

It is far and away cleaner in WA, even with Hanford than any area of TN I'm aware of--air, water or land. Not that TN is a cess-pool by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that on this issue there is no comparison.

I think your concerns about Hanford are somewhat overblown.

(By the way, I was a career teacher and admin--have taught in both areas, as well as others. Every state I've worked in has done something better than any of the other places I've been.)

Thanks for the information. Which state specifically did you like the best?

[skinem]

Originally Posted by nwbound27

Thanks so much for the responses. I am not pro-government and am very disillusioned by the whole mess. The governent I thought was suppose to be watching out for the greater good of all, but that is just propaganda. I think most people do not want to believe how toxic nuclear waste is, and the stuff they buried has already leaked out into the ground water and down the Columbia river. The scientists told congress that we need a place that would contain this stuff for 1 million years. ( You have got to be kidding me!) We don't have anything that will come close to that and it is ridiculous to even mess with something like that. You are also right about the flouride but god knows what else they are giving us. It is sad that anybody should have to sacrifice their health or the environment for a job, but greed it seems has taken over and the little guy is not that important. I hope I will find that place where people haven't given up or given in and geninuely care about each other!
Thanks again and God Bless!

Please believe me when I tell you that if there's anyone in the world outside of Chernobyl who knows more about how toxic nuclear waste is, it's the folks in Washington who have been dealing with and trying to clean up and stop leakage for several decades now. The "downwinders" and Hanford workers who were "crapped up" know more than the average person about it. (...and you're mis-informed about it having reached the Columbia yet. Aside from the occasional glowing jackrabbit and three-eyed fish, no problems.)

As far as it being ridiculous to mess with, maybe so, but it ended one war and many believe it's prevented many others. And how ridiculous it is is immaterial...it's here and it has to be dealt with. Plus, it's done wonders for the Tri-Cities economy! Talk about perpetual employment opportunities...waste cleanup and containment for generations...talk about your shovel-ready jobs! Better than a stimulus package!

Originally Posted by nwbound27

Thanks for the information. Which state specifically did you like the best?

Depends upon what specific issue you're talking about...like I said each place I've been did something better than the other. Overall, I'd have to say Oregon. Decent pay, I was in early enough to have gotten in on one of the best retirement systems in the country, fantastic teacher development programs and a real emphasis upon meeting the student where they are and not taking a "one size fits all" approach that I've seen in some places. Of course, these are generalizations because everything in the world can vary district-to-district and every state I've been in has some great school systems...and some less-than-great.

[odie91]

Local News | Radioactive rabbit trapped at Hanford | Seattle Times Newspaper

Kind of makes me wonder how much this radioactive material spread throughout the country (especially when the site was still active). Rabbit or some rodent eats radioactive grass... eagle eats rodent, then flies away.... takes a radioactive crap somewhere... other vegetation takes up the radioactive crap. Or, some rabbits hump like bunnies, produce radioactive bunnies who also hump like bunnies.... ten generations later their descendants are spread miles and miles away. Birds eat radioactive insects... lay radioactive eggs.... hatch into radioactive chicks.... fly south for the winter.

[nwbound27]

Thanks skinem,
Yes it did end a war, but we know more about it now than we did then, so when you know better you do better, right? I am so sorry for all the people affected and will hope that we will gain knowledge from our past mistakes to make eveyone's life better.
Oregon does look like a great state, but expensive to live there. Sorry I read your PM and responded, before I read this.

[nwbound27]

Originally Posted by odie91

Local News | Radioactive rabbit trapped at Hanford | Seattle Times Newspaper

Kind of makes me wonder how much this radioactive material spread throughout the country (especially when the site was still active). Rabbit or some rodent eats radioactive grass... eagle eats rodent, then flies away.... takes a radioactive crap somewhere... other vegetation takes up the radioactive crap. Or, some rabbits hump like bunnies, produce radioactive bunnies who also hump like bunnies.... ten generations later their descendants are spread miles and miles away. Birds eat radioactive insects... lay radioactive eggs.... hatch into radioactive chicks.... fly south for the winter.

Yes I also read about that. It is really scary to think how wide spread it potentially is. I started my research about nuclear contamination for my sister and it lead me back to TN. Oak Ridge is called the "Secret City" and God know what they have done and continue to do. I live within 100 miles of 3 nuclear plants and found out they cannot transport the waste, so there it stays and I don't know how well they have contained it, if at all. What is alittle leakage here and there?

[skinem]

Hanford for decades has had biologists working there whose sole purpose is to track how any radiation is effecting them. Thus far, there's been no evidence of radiation being spread any distance by animals defecating radiation... (In fact, I used to think they had the perfect job---they get to spend their time outdoors searching for particular species, and even hunt animal species. Getting paid to hunt! Sweet!)

It's not the grass that's ever been found to be radioactive...it's that back in the 40s before they really truly understood what they were dealing with some radioactive waste was put in 50 gallon drums and buried in the desert. Of course, those rust away and rabbits, mice, etc., have been found to have burrowed into those sites. In fact, during the 60s and 70s that's one method that was used to find a couple of those dump sites...by tracking radioactive rabbit droppings. Again, it wasn't the grass, but the animal itself that became radioactive. So of course the site was excavated and the waste and contaminated soil was moved to a more suitable storage facility. From what I understand, it's been decades since any of those types of sites were found.

Other than that, I've also understood there's been very little impact upon wildlife in the area. In fact, there's an elk herd that that hasn't been hunted in decades and decades having what many believe to be state-record size bulls. Also, because of the governments seizing of the area, it now contains a number of plant and animal species that are endangered and just about the last of the state's purely natural grass/scrublands left...as well as the last free-flowing section of the Columbia left.

[DBM]

To the OP --

There is a relatively thorough Wikipedia entry on "Hanford Site" which discusses the history of the site and the current state of the clean-up. Even if you aren't wild about Wikipedia as a source, the article has scores of footnotes including both government and private documents. It makes for interesting browsing. As for your questions, it appears that the primary remaining contamination stream of concern is the groundwater. If you are looking at areas which do not draw from that groundwater (i.e., upstream from the site both for surface and groundwater), then your risk is probably not all that great. For example, Spokane is several hundred miles upstream from Hanford (as the stream flows) and the aquifers for the two areas are not in continuity with each other (to my knowledge), so potential contamination at Hanford would not affect my decision to live in Spokane.

[nwbound27]

Originally Posted by DBM

To the OP --

There is a relatively thorough Wikipedia entry on "Hanford Site" which discusses the history of the site and the current state of the clean-up. Even if you aren't wild about Wikipedia as a source, the article has scores of footnotes including both government and private documents. It makes for interesting browsing. As for your questions, it appears that the primary remaining contamination stream of concern is the groundwater. If you are looking at areas which do not draw from that groundwater (i.e., upstream from the site both for surface and groundwater), then your risk is probably not all that great. For example, Spokane is several hundred miles upstream from Hanford (as the stream flows) and the aquifers for the two areas are not in continuity with each other (to my knowledge), so potential contamination at Hanford would not affect my decision to live in Spokane.

Thanks so much for the info! I have read the Wiki article and I was hoping that to be true. I know that is not the only thing that needs clean up, but that was a big obstacle for me to even consider relocation. I'm sure there is no place left that does not have some kind of environmental issue, but at least one could limit their exposure to anything really bad. I am glad the OP believes that the NW is overall alot cleaner than TN. I see that Butte has one of the most toxic lakes from copper mining so that is out. I know there are several paper mills that cannot be too good to live near. Many say they have ruined parts of E TN with paper mills. Does anyone know about the environmental impact of paper mills?

[stonecypher5413]

If you end up investigating the area around Centralia, heads up:

//www.city-data.com/forum/washi...dangerous.html

It blows my mind that the pristine beauty of Mt. Rainier is ruined by a coal-fired plant. But, hey, what's a little secondhand smoke.