plutonium water in the columbia

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

this is hanford and it's location to the columbia river

this is how some of the nuclear material was stored.

this will soon be required kite gear.

and you thought boardshorts over wetsuits were weird.

this is the meeting tonight to voice your concern against the inadequate DOE clean up plans offered.

7 - 9 PM tonight (Wed).
Portland State Univ.
Student Union Vanport Rm 338
1825 SW Broadway

The EPA is present and listening to the community's input.

And below is some kite porn to keep you stoked on what we do in that water!

wheels · Since 14 May 2005 29 Posts

Portland-based kiters, please don't miss this meeting tonight.

The US Department of Energy's proposed cleanup plan DOES NOT take seismic activity into account whatsoever, and plutonium has already reached 110 feet deep in some of the "Z trenches", just a couple hundred feet above the water table.

If we don't speak out, their plan could move forward.

Comments put on the record at the meeting will be formally responded to and taken into consideration before the cleanup plan goes into effect.

They want to dig up two feet of the 110 feet of the highly dangerous material, back fill with dirt and call it good. The plutonium in the Z trenches is the result of spent fuel rods being dissolved in a chemical something or other, which was then dumped into the ground, in a corrosive mobile fluid.

California's cleanup standards are over 1,000 times more protective. It makes me wonder how close those sites are to a major river. If the proximity isn't that close, you would think that the Hanford plan should be thousands of times more protective than the California cleanup, no?

If you can't make it out, comments can be taken via email up until August 5.

Photos attached from last night's meeting in Hood River.

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

whoa wheels just blew the top off on this one.

so much more dialog going on last night at the hood river hanford meeting then the charts, that's what really got me going.

i super hope there was a pdx kiter group in attendance at the meeting tonight at PSU.

what happened my urban kiter cousins?

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

did anyone go? seriously not a single soul?

forrest · Thu Jul 28, 11 8:52 am

I went to the last one that the Riverkeepers hosted. Was odd as Katie and I were the only young people there. I would have been at this one but I had prior engagements.

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

Right on Forrest... there was probably 10 kiters at the Hood River meeting a couple nights ago with little advance notice.

I would be pretty shocked to learn that after 700 views on this thread not a single portland kiter took the time to attend and be apart of the dialog.

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jul 28, 11 11:21 pm

ummm, this is new news?

Hanford has been leaking nuclear waste into the Columbia since the 50's. It's a fucking nightmare out there and will continue to be a fucking nightmare.

Hey, anyone want to debate how great nuclear power is? Hey Hein, why don't you start bitching about the wind turbines again..

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

it's news that the new plan by the DOE is to clean up only a portion of the contaminated soil. dispite the leakage going as much as 110 feet below the surface their approach is to remove only the top 2 feet.

the current standards that California has held them accountable to is 1,000 times more stringent than the one proposed here.

that's why it's important to make some noise about the issue monkeyman. the community needs to let them know that is not enough.

There is still time to email any comments to the folks at the DOE. Their address is PW136PP@rl.gov

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

It's a bummer that no one went to the Portland meeting. But gotta say, Most PDX Kiters (not all) use the Gorge but won't pay for CGKA membership, Parking Passes or anything else for that matter. Poachers...

The meeting here in Hood River was really informative. A lot of emotion. People had really valid points & I was impressed with the caliber of intelligence. Didn't know what to expect from the Tie Dye Dude - but he was really great. Green guy was way to angry & sucked up a lot of time from others with questions & comments. Don't kid yourselves. This place is a radio active dumping ground weapons factory with pretty houses & great PNW scenery. If or when Mt. Hood blows it's top, were all F'd. The earthquakes & flooding will ensure that. Hanford will be washed through & all that stuff will be in the river. I brought that up at the meeting.

At this point, the most danger in our water is Nitrites (agricultural fertilizers). But I don't see a bunch of protest or meetings about shutting down farms/winerys on the Columbia...

I did stay and spoke to the DOE guy (J.D.) and the contractor who oversees the removal of the waste. Just so you know. It costs 44k for one barrel of removed contaminate. Who's going to pay for that? Everyone says 100% clean up, But that's not gonna happen. Its like looking for gold flakes in a mountain of dirt. Just turn on a fan, throw a bundle of money in it and it won't make much difference.

These "public meetings" are more about preventative litigation. It's a fake form of representive democracy...an illusion. Houdini Democracy.

Hanford will never be cleaned up - it's a jobs program for the government.

wheels · Since 14 May 2005 29 Posts

mystery curd · Since 14 Jun 2010 98 Posts Floating

Melokitegirl said: "But gotta say, Most PDX Kiters (not all) use the Gorge but won't pay for CGKA membership, Parking Passes or anything else for that matter. Poachers..."

-That is a dumb and unsubstantiated claim. Does nothing for the kite community except create sides and hostility. We all spend money in Hood river and the gorge and without the PDX'ers Hood river'd dry up and wouldn't even need a bank or a grocery store, think Rufus.

Also, Hanford is not a "jobs" program for the government. If it weren't for environmental groups and re@ctor watchdogs groups out there, private industry would have been dumping 10 times the amount of waste there and walking away scott free. Because of those groups our government has to at least look like it's doing something to keep us from freaking out. In other words we (the government) are responding in some small measure, through democracy and free flowing information. If you believe our government actions in Hanford are not enough, then you need to take action.
Hanford is a west coast catastrophe waiting on an earthquake to happen. Anyone who's honest with themselves can see the impossibility of safely storing for THOUSANDS OF YEARS! the waste that is created from these re@ctors. Turning Hanford into a dump for private industry's re@ctor waste from all over the country is probably not in Hood river's, Portland's, Oregon's or the greater NW's best interest.

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

We are all entitled to an opinion. I have mine, you have yours, Curd of Mystery. Maybe I have stirred the pot about PDX poachers. So what. I did say "Not all PDX Kiters". How would you feel if you did all the work and someone else got all the benefit for free? I'll bet most people coming from PDX get their gas at Troutdale. I haven't been to a meeting yet where kiting economic stimulus effected any decision. I'm just saying that if you kite here where it's become more & more crowded - the least you can do is pay $10 for a CGWA membership & pay for parking. This would go a long way with Port meetings for improvements & safe usage.

We have different views about Hanford. I agree to disagree.

Interesting thing came out of the discussion I had with Moses (the clean-up private contractor) from Kuwait. Yes, Kuwait. He is now a US citizen. Nice person, very knowledgable & informative. He said that he enjoyed listening to everyone's opinions because where he came from - it would never happen. Made him love the USA all the more. I'm sure he is enjoying those fat government checks too.

Free speach is alive & well.

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

oops Freudian slip? I meant CGKA.

Scribble · Since 18 Nov 2005 636 Posts NoPo Addicted

Smells like localism to me. I bet when you come to Portland you buy your gas in Troutdale too. Or somewhere else that's not Portland that is cheap.

I eat at Double Mountain or elsewhere every time I come to HR. I buy shit from Pepi when I need something. I used to not pay for parking because I'm not going to when I can park 20 yards further away for free. Now there's a 90 minute limit, so I won't be doing that anymore. A lot of us PDXers kite west of PDX when we can. I haven't kited the gorge yet this year. The coast and Jones have been good to me.

As off topic as it is, calling us poachers is bullshit!

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

Good grief. A bit sensitive, don't you think? I was referring to the comment of gas & groceries that was previously stated. I actually buy my gas in Bingen, Lyle & Hood River Spit - because yes, it's hard to make it in a small town and spending a few more pennies is worth it to me. The context is to support the people who work so very hard voluntarily by spending $10 (2 beers) on a membership & pay for parking. That's all.

Do you go to Mt. Hood & expect to ski for free? Where do you think the money comes from to support The Port? Bridge tickets, parking and venues. Can't really ask a lot from them if your not supporting the bottom line.

For the record...if I know a kiter/windsurfer who has a business in Portland. I make sure that I spend my dollars with them. It cuts both ways.

I'm not trying to start a fight here. Really. I will refrain from the "P" word and hand you a tissue. If you know of another adgective to describe not paying & using something for free...let me know. Would "entitled" be better? I'm not againt PDX-ers. just "pay to play" like everyone else.

PS. This has nothing to do with Double Mountain or Second Wind.

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1734 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

hey lance, this sounds pretty bad. not sure what to think. I mean I grew up in the tricities, knew of the location of the hanford area in proximity to the columbia, figured there was always shit in the water going downstream. I have wondered about the risks of kiting with a superfund cleanup site upstream of where I enjoy the river.
the cleanup effort doesn't sound like it is as extreme as it should be.
While I am sure the EPA is keeping a watchful eye on this, how do we know when levels have reached levels to be concerned with?
I live in seattle, so it would have been difficult to make the PDX meeting. maybe they will do the same up here. I doubt it. no one is really affected with it in seattle. I'm sure if the columbia flowed through seattle, the perception would be different.
thanks for posting about it. it brings attention to a very major issue for the river users.
as for the others posting, I could care less about your pissing contests.