EDITORIAL: Proposed cuts to Hanford funding unacceptable

March 24-- Mar. 24--The radioactive waste stored in leaking underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are an environmental disaster waiting to happen. That's something nobody wants to think about.

But, unfortunately, many of those with the power to get this nuclear mess cleaned up are among those who continue to ignore this reality.

The Trump administration is proposing cutting Hanford Nuclear Reservation spending for fiscal year 2020 by $416 million, the Tri-City Herald reported last week. The annual budget would drop from about $2.5 billion this fiscal year to $2.1 billion next year under the budget request submitted to Congress by the administration, according to the Herald.

Sigh!

The nuclear waste festering underground just can't be ignored. Yet, it isn't getting the attention it deserves from presidents or Congress for the past half a century.

The reduction in funding will likely not be as deep as proposed by the current administration, as Congress has the final say. Historically, Washington state's 12 federal lawmakers work together to boost what is allocated for the cleanup effort.

Two years ago, the Republicans and Democrats in the state's congressional delegation were able to increase spending proposal by $342 million more than proposed by the Trump administration.

Still, it's concerning.

Walla Walla is less than 70 miles away from the nuclear reservation where 56 million gallons of radioactive nuclear waste are stored in tanks: Efforts to remove the deadly waste are important. In addition, 67 of the tanks -- some with confirmed leaks -- are buried relatively close to the Columbia River.

But this isn't merely a local or regional concern, it's a national one. Cleaning up this radioactive nuclear waste is a federal responsibility. The U.S. government established the Hanford Nuclear Reservation during World War II for national defense purposes.

Nearly five years ago, the state Department of Ecology concluded cleanup work at Hanford was 25 years behind schedule. Little progress to speed things up has occurred.

Federal officials -- of both political parties -- have delayed fully funding the cleanup operation for years. Congress trims funding while promising to make up for it some day, a day that has yet to arrive.

It's critical lawmakers from Washington state, Oregon and Idaho keep up the pressure for full funding to be achieved -- before it's too late.

Editorials are the opinion of the Union-Bulletin's Editorial Board. The board is composed of Brian Hunt, Rick Eskil, James Blethen and Alasdair Stewart

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