Is the state of Washington in danger of Nuclear attack (Seattle: design, tanks)

[Woof]

The Columbia River has been radioactive for decades - it's mostly ignored - not publicized - except for federal Superfund cleanups.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by victorianpunk

However, if some terrorist was to blow up the Hanford site, we would be screwed. The Columbia river would be radioactive and bye-bye Portland...

Um.... your statement ignores so many factors that I'm not even sure where to start. Let's just state that a hypothetical North Korean Nuclear Missile is a larger over all threat even accounting for multiple layers of US Missile Defense systems positioned in Hawaii and the entire West Coast.

Yes it is possible that the river could be contaminated even worse, but that would be via ground water leaks. But to affect Portland to the point that it'd be destroyed is pushing it. I'd be more worried about possible air born contaminants that would be affecting most of Eastern Washington, North Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Montana, etc.

The Mt. St. Helens eruption would be a likely pattern for how radiation would spread.

[Xeon1210]

early warning and missile defense ...radars and what not. You might be able to build, but can't launch that type of hardware without your neighbors knowing about it. i would expect nothing less than defensive and offensive military response before a rocket leaves nk geographic area (if it were armed with a nuclear warhead).

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

I watched yesterday as an air passenger waited for TSA guard to be distracted by TXT'ing, and then she slipped by him. There are some TERRIBLY weak holes and many malcontents in our free country.

Frankly, if I were a terrorist, I'd detonate a bomb in the crowded security area before getting to the scanners. On a busy commuting day, if several people coordinated such attacks at a few major airports, every airport in the country would immediately evacuate and air traffic would grind to a halt, because no one would know if another airport was going to be targeted. Then what would TSA do? Move the scanners outside, where the same issue would arise?

The security lines at the airports are the most potentially dangerous part of air travel, IMO, and baggage claim areas have the same security flaw.

[dub dub II]

We'd be first...Boeing, Central Seattle...Portland maybe...
Did you know we have over 1500 nukes in the State?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by dub dub II

We'd be first...Boeing, Central Seattle...Portland maybe...
Did you know we have over 1500 nukes in the State?

I feel better knowing that!, and those are only the ones we KNOW about!

I would feel even better if some of the WPPSS were online and we were selling / exporting MORE power / energy like WY and AK, and ND. WA HAD a bright future.

Energy Northwest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RE: WA being a target that NK could actually TARGET & penetrate our defenses.

I Highly Doubt it.

Trouble Will come from within or on our shores, probably from angry Chinese who want their MONEY back.

[Pretzelogik]

Originally Posted by cdelena

Probably more danger from the nuclear waste left over from WWII in leaking tanks in Hanford.

No plan in place when leak alarm sounded at Hanford | KING5.com Seattle YEP.

[Yooshi]

I don'tthink so.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Does anybody else remember when we got the first nuclear submarine in WA? Can't remember what year that was. We were all so sure it was going to be targeted. Probably was Russia we were worried about back then. Never happened.

And there was also the No Nukes campaigns because of the Hanford site. That never blew up either.

I remember being all about protesting the above back then. Now I don't get worked up about these things anymore. Getting old :-)

[squidouttawater]

Yes, Washington is in danger of a nuclear attack but it has been for a long time. First from the Soviet Union, then from China. As far as NK is concerned, the threat is actually indirect since it is the country holds their leash is the greatest threat. If NK attacks either the ROK or Japan, the United States would be forced to act. Since China has already stated that its long term goal is to eject the United States from Asia, as well as has developed a new ICBM that can hit every major city in the United States and is designed to overwhelm our antimissile defense system, they are a bigger threat than any other country in the world and they would use the attack on North Korea as a justification for war.