Hanford vs. Katrina: not a good argument

Washington is drawing a line over Hanford cleanup — and for good reason. If they have to, state officials say, they will sue.

Gov. Christine Gregoire and other state officials this week urged President George W. Bush to dispense with a proposed $100 million Hanford budget cut to help pay for hurricane relief. And they urged Bush to restore cleanup funding after a devastating $100 million cut was approved by a congressional conference committee. Without those resources, the federal government will miss a key, 2011 deadline for turning radioactive wastes into more-stable glass logs and be in violation of Hanford's 16-year-old federal-state cleanup compact.

At increased risk is the long-term health of the Columbia River, which flows near the south-central Washington nuclear reservation. The treatment plant, which is one-third finished, is supposed to be ready in 2011. If not, some waste could be left in the aging tanks — many confirmed leakers — possibly contributing more to the underground plume that threatens the river. The budget cuts could delay the plant's start date another seven years, officials say.

This week Gregoire, Attorney General Rob McKenna and Ecology Director Jay Manning vowed to enforce the agreement, which could include hefty fines and possibly a lawsuit.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell, both Democrats, and Rep. Doc Hastings, a Republican who represents the region that includes Hanford, stand with state officials in taking on the administration.

Hurricane relief is a worthy cause, but so is cleanup of one of the nation's most-polluted sites near a community of about 200,000 people. The federal government exploited Hanford for the nation's nuclear defense for almost 40 years, disposing of waste without due care and responsible planning.

Now President Bush should ensure the federal government meets its contractual and moral obligations to clean it up.