Re: Anti-WIPP article lacks critical thinking

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

Bill,

It is not unreasonable to trade significant current risks to human
health and the environment for hypothetical future risks, especially
when the end result is an overall huge decrease in risk to the public.

The government will be better able to control the long-term use of a few
sites with consolidated radioactive wastes than the multitude of current
"temporary" facilities.  It is a mistake to postpone action based on the
assumption that a technical solution will magically appear next year . .
. next decade . . . next century . . . .

The stakeholders in Oak Ridge have been on the forefront of promoting
long-term stewardship planning by DOE.  This is applicable to both waste
disposal sites as well as sites where there will be remnant
contamination after remediation.  In conjunction with a process to
define acceptable end uses of contaminated DOE land after remediation, a
broad-based stakeholder group hashed out the basic elements of a
stewardship program for the DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation.  This is
described in the 100-page "Stakeholder Report on Stewardship."  A
follow-on Stewardship Working Group is working closely with DOE, the
State, EPA, and the local governments to begin to implement the
recommendations in the report.

I would be happy to send you, and anyone else who is interested, a copy
of the "Stakeholder Report on Stewardship."  Just send a message with
your address to me at loc@icx.net.

Regards,
Susan Gawarecki

-- 
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Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 208
Oak Ridge, Tennessee  37830
Phone (423) 483-1333; Fax (423) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
VISIT OUR UPDATED WEB SITE:  http://www.local-oversight.org
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