Seattle, WA Opposing the Restart of the Fast Flux Test Facility at Hanford

Type: Resolution
Status: Adopted on 10/25/99
Vote: Unanimous
Source File: Click here
Text:
Resolution Number: 30060
A RESOLUTION relating to the proposed restart of the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) nuclear reactor and proposed Plutonium processing at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
WHEREAS, radioactive and toxic wastes are flowing into the Columbia River from contamination at the United States Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and leaks from High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks have reached groundwater that flows into the Columbia River; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy forecasts that its projected budget requests for Hanford Clean-Up will fall more than $200 million short of the level required to perform cleanup and safety work required by the Hanford Clean-Up Agreement and applicable laws; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy has failed to comply with the terms of the Hanford Clean-Up Agreement by breaking its commitment to shutdown the FFTF reactor and direct saved funds to cleanup, and has diverted more than $100 million from Hanford's cleanup mission to keep the FFTF on hot standby status; and
WHEREAS, the proposed uses of the reactor would include activities generating more nuclear and hazardous wastes at Hanford, which would be stored in its already leaking tanks; and
WHEREAS, the City of Seattle formally opposes (Resolution #28848, December, 1993) the import of spent nuclear fuel through Puget Sound or the Port of Seattle due to extremely high risk of shipboard fire among other hazards detailed in past resolutions; and
WHEREAS, the FFTF reactor would require the importation of Plutonium fuel, a material that poses similar risks; and
WHEREAS, the Council supports study of how production of medical isotopes can be best addressed; this is a national issue that needs to be resolved to thebenefit of all citizens; and
WHEREAS, any further contamination of the Columbia River from Hanford poses unacceptable health and economic risks to the citizens of Seattle, including the risk of major accidents involving airborne releases of radiation requiring the seizure of agricultural products and milk.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
1. The City of Seattle urges the United States Secretary of Energy to halt efforts to restart the FFTF nuclear reactor and proposed Plutonium processing at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
2. The City opposes the startup of new nuclear missions or facilities at Hanford, which would contribute additional radioactive or hazardous wastes, until the site is in full compliance with state and federal environmental laws and the threat of contamination from Hanford wastes to the Columbia River is eliminated.
3. The City opposes the import of spent nuclear fuel or materials with similar high-risk properties such as Plutonium fuel proposed for operation of the FFTF reactor through the Port of Seattle or Puget Sound.
4. The City urges Seattle residents to make their views known at public hearings, and urges the U.S. Department of Energy to respond to these views.
5. The City urges the Secretary and President of the United States to allocate the funds saved from shutting down the reactor for protection of our region's public health and environment through cleanup of Hanford's nuclear legacy - as guaranteed in the Hanford Clean-Up Agreement. 
Category:City Governments
Category:Nuclear Free
Category:Resolutions
Category:Seattle
Category:Washington