Letter: Dangers of nuke storage are evident

Friday, March 2, 2001 | 1:38 a.m.

There is a kind of pompous pretense in federal government assurances that the decisions on this matter will be based on "science." As a relatively recent migrant from Washington state, this matter has a familiar ring. The Hanford nuclear facility in Richland, Wash., is a festering sore that threatens to poison ground water. That water is moving toward the Columbia River, which goes to Portland, Ore., and then travels to other thriving communities. There have been many news articles about storage containers that have failed to contain this toxic waste safely in that facility. There have also been many pronouncements from the Energy Department on how these problems would be addressed. There continue to be public health studies of "downwinders," people who have lived in close enough proximity to have suspiciously higher incidents of cancer.

The burial of large amounts of radioactive waste within 90 miles of Las Vegas creates a permanent risk of unknown proportions. It seems particularly ill-advised as this area is experiencing considerable population growth. Our past experience with nuclear waste storage makes it clear that what is described as science is at best hypothetical, if not outright propaganda.

ERIC STEFIK