Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-16

morrow on legislation designed, in effect,
to prevent the literal throwing away of
a great potential national resource
The resource is the steam that will come
as byproduct from the dual-purpose
nuclear reactor being built at Hanford,
Washington. .t a.
Although its primary task is to
manufacture plutonium for weapons,
this reactor, when it is completed and
put into operation next year, will give
off such tremendous quantity Of heat
equivalent to about II million pounds
of steam per hour) that it will be
capable-wholly apart from its military
function-of producing about 100000
kilowatt-hourS of electricity for peace
full, commercial uses. The facility thus
promises to be by far the biggest power
plant of its kind anywhere in the world.
At this time last year, however, the
House, by vote of 176 to 140, rejected
a proposal to have the Federal Govern
ment spend sos million Ia self-liquidat-
ing investment that would have cost
the taxpayer nothing) on equipment to
convert Hanford'S steam into electricity.
Although the Senate strongly supported
the project, the Houses view prevailed,
mainly on the ground-as argued by
coal interests and lobbying private
utilities-that the measure would put
the Atomic Energy Commission into the
business of selling power and thus pro-
noting further "socialistic" intrusion
into the realm of free enterprise.
But today, whatever may have been
the merits Of that argument, an
altogether different situation obtains
A non-profit municipal corporation in
the State Of Washington-a group
known as the Washington Public Power
Supply SYSTEMS ready, willing, able
and eager to build the facilities and bear
all the other costs involved in buying
Hanford's steam, converting it into
electricity, and distributing the product
Through the Bonneville Power Admin
istration) to clients throughout the
Pacific Northwest, including private
utilities on a nondiScriminatory basis
In short WPPSS is prepared to take
over the job of making the most of
Hanford's steam, and the United States
Treasury, If Congress approves, will
ACOCANC 1LOAl ILLS organization perhaps
as much as $125 million, or maybe more,
depending on how long the reactor
operates. The revenue moreover, will
be received without single dollar of
Federal investment.
1t is for reasons of this sort that
Chairman Chef Holifield and an impress
sive majority of the Joint Congressional
Atomic Committee have unqualifiedly
recommended to the House that it adopt
the legislation now before it. In Mr..
Holifield's words, This is non Federal
enterprise, and the private companies
. will have an opportunity to participate
up to so per cent. Is not that a reason
able arrangement? :. This is COM
pletely different approach than was
brought before the Congress last year.
This does not require dime of Federal
money, nor are we going to authorize it
or ask to have appropriated 81 of
Federal money"
In some respects, the project is
technically too complex to be reduced to
simple terms. Yet, as Mr. Holifield has
explained it, nothing could be clearer
than that America will be guilty of
lamentable improvidence If it lets Han
ford's steam be tossed away, so to speak,
on the desert air. Congress should vote
accordingly.