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Hanford Watchdogs, Union Intend To Sue Feds Over Tank Vapors

Anna King
/
Northwest News Network

Thursday three groups with ties to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation announced they intend to sue the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractor.

Seattle-based watchdog group Hanford Challenge, a Richland workers’ union, and the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility are piling on. They say there’s been a lack of action at the Hanford site to correct worker exposures to harmful tank vapors.

The groups notified Energy and Hanford contractor Washington River Protection Solutions about the intent to sue in 90 days.

Hanford is home to 56 million gallons of radioactive waste in leaking underground tanks. The groups say workers have complained about vapors from that waste making them ill for decades without enough action.

This all comes just one day after Washington state officials announced their plans to sue over the same issues.

Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network

Anna King
Anna King calls Richland, Washington home and loves unearthing great stories about people in the Northwest. She reports for the Northwest News Network from a studio at Washington State University, Tri-Cities. She covers the Mid-Columbia region, from nuclear reactors to Mexican rodeos.