Most Contaminated Place in the Western Hemisphere

UncaBuffalo · Apr 24, 2013, 08:42

http://www.king5.com/news/investigators/Contractor-discounted-Hanford-leak-evidence-for-a-year-204201981.html

"Why it took DOE and the private company hired to oversee the tank a full year to conduct a thorough investigation into signs of a leak of highly radioactive waste raises a larger question about the clean-up effort at Hanford – a 586 square mile patch of Central Washington that's the most contaminated place in the Western Hemisphere."

I'd never really thought about it before, but...is Hanford the most contaminated place in America?

modified for spelling

bystander · Apr 24, 2013, 08:57

Depends on your definition of "contamination".

"Radioactive contamination - Not all radioactive material is considered 'contamination'. contamination is radioactive material that is in a form or location which may allow it to be spread to unwanted locations. Many radioactive sources are s ealed or are in a form that isolates the material from potential spread. Contamination may be Fixed, Transferable (loose), or Airborne."

It also depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is.

HydroDave63 · Apr 24, 2013, 08:59

Legend has it the "Infinity Room" at the Flats was worse.

UncaBuffalo · Apr 24, 2013, 10:16

Quote from: bystander on Apr 24, 2013, 08:57
Depends on your definition of "contamination".

"Radioactive contamination - Not all radioactive material is considered 'contamination'. contamination is radioactive material that is in a form or location which may allow it to be spread to unwanted locations.

Using your definition, Hanford is definitely VERY VERY VERY VERY (add as many VERY's as you want and I won't argue) contaminated. I saw the results from the sampling wells when I worked there however many odd years ago...even then the plume of groundwater contamination (mostly from leaks in the single-wall tanks, as I recall) was almost to the river...

I haven't worked SRS, but am assuming they have similar problems?

Quote from: HydroDave63 on Apr 24, 2013, 08:59
Legend has it the "Infinity Room" at the Flats was worse.

I didn't work the Flats, but... I'm thinking lots of sites have small (compared in total environmental impact) problems that are of equal/greater intensity to a similar quantity at Hanford...it's just that Hanford has more quantity out of control? But, does Hanford become the MCPitWH when the equation is Quality X Quantity X Lack-of-Control?

modified for spelling

hamsamich · Apr 25, 2013, 03:05

not the western hemi, but this could be the most contaminated place on earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Karachay

Lip2303 · Apr 25, 2013, 09:36

I worked at Hanford and West Valley... West Valley was by far more contaminated (obviously this was only compared to the site I worked at Hanford). Old fuel reprocessing facility...pretty nasty.

birch148 · Apr 25, 2013, 10:01

I never worked at Hanford but I did work at West Valley with people who worked at Hanford and from what I learned West Valley takes the contamination cake! Not only with radioactive contamination but asbestos and chemical.

UncaBuffalo · Apr 25, 2013, 11:27

Quote from: Lip2303 on Apr 25, 2013, 09:36
I worked at Hanford and West Valley... West Valley was by far more contaminated (obviously this was only compared to the site I worked at Hanford). Old fuel reprocessing facility...pretty nasty.

Quote from: birch148 on Apr 25, 2013, 10:01
I never worked at Hanford but I did work at West Valley with people who worked at Hanford and from what I learned West Valley takes the contamination cake! Not only with radioactive contamination but asbestos and chemical.

I can't find much about the extent (area and levels) of the groundwater contamination at West Valley. Can anyone shed any light on that?

(Maps of the groundwater situation at Hanford are easily googled. I think it would be interesting to compare the two. I know that my earlier conjecture of SRS being a candidate for MCPitWH seems to go out the window when you compare groundwater contamination maps of it and Hanford.)

snowman · Apr 26, 2013, 01:02

Quote from: Lip2303 on Apr 25, 2013, 09:36
I worked at Hanford and West Valley... West Valley was by far more contaminated (obviously this was only compared to the site I worked at Hanford). Old fuel reprocessing facility...pretty nasty.

West Valley is by far more contaminated than Hanford? You can't be serious! Where you were at...the Federal Building?

roadhp · Apr 26, 2013, 05:54

Didn't work West Valley, but did work SRS and Hanford, as well as Rocky Flats, Paducah, Portsmouth, Oak Ridge, NTS, Mound, Brookhaven NL, Argonne East and Fernald. The pits at Fernald were probably the worst. Having to wear a respirator in street clothes to hand out Lapels for Beryllium, now that's bad. SRS and Hanford are a close second, each having it's own problems, just the names are changed, i.e. FP, VFP and UTM at SRS, for those in the know

Lip2303 · Apr 26, 2013, 12:24

I worked N reactor at Hanford and some OT in the 300 areas. Again, this was simply my work experience.

UncaBuffalo · May 07, 2013, 03:40

NTS seems to be a candidate, as far as curies uncontrolled goes...but it probably isn't as bad as Hanford due to distance from major aquifers & bodies of water?

Also, probably not nearly as lethal as far as isotopes of concern?

Brett LaVigne · May 08, 2013, 03:10

We are nearly 100' below sea level, right next to the ocean with lots and lots of Plutonium and Americium. A fairly large plume under us with many legacy spills areas outside, and we aren't even a shadow of what Hanford is. You might be able to find a hotter smear or dirt sample somewhere else, but as far as quantity and wide spread contamination in uncontrolled areas? I got to believe that Hanford is the heavyweight champ here in the US.