Resolution of the 46th District Democrats
Endorsing and supporting I-297 to stop polluting and clean up Hanford
Adopted on August 7, 2003

PROBLEMS AT HANFORD
by Gerry Pollet

Initiative 297 has been launched by the "Protect Washington" campaign to stop the Bush Administration from making Hanford a national radioactive waste dump. The initiative would appear on the November 2004 election ballot--forcing Bush, every time he appears in the Northwest to campaign, to explain why he wants to make Hanford a national radioactive waste dump.

If I-297 does not make it on the ballot, the Bush Administration will begin importing 70,000 truckloads of radioactive waste from nuclear weapons plants to be dumped in the ground at Hanford. Hanford is already the most contaminated area in the Western Hemisphere. Many of these truckloads will include highly radioactive Plutonium and other wastes and emit radiation levels so high that several fatal cancers are predicted in the public stuck in traffic alongside them, even without an accident or terrorist attack on these rolling "dirty bombs".

We can't dump our kitchen garbage in unlined soil trenches--it's against the law. The City of Seattle can't dump municipal garbage in unlined landfills--it's against the law. Wastes from Hanford's soil trenches and its leaking High-Level Nuclear Waste tanks are contaminating ground water and flowing towards the Columbia River. I-297 would end dumping in unlined trenches and ban adding more waste to Hanford until the contamination is cleaned up, and the wastes already at Hanford are stored in compliance with existing hazardous waste laws.

Recently, Democratic Congressmen Jay Inslee and Adam Smith introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to end dumping of radioactive wastes in unlined soil trenches by December 31st. Republican Congressman Hastings from the Tri-Cities blocked the amendment in a party line vote in the Rules Committee. Inslee and Adams also introduced a bill to end dumping of radioactive waste in unlined trenches wjocj was co-sponsored by every Washington State Democratic Representative. Every Republican refused to co-sponsor. This is shaping up as a major campaign issue for 2004.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE 46TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS, endorse and support the signature drive to place Initiative 297 on the November, 2004 election ballot to stop the Bush Administration plan to make Washington a national radioactive waste dump, and to protect the Columbia River by ending dumping of radioactive waste in unlined soil trenches at Hanford.
(Submitted by Gerry Pollet)