'Arid Lands' offers compelling portrait of Hanford

Now that few Washingtonians fear Hanford will spawn a race of nuclear-radiated mutants, it's great to see a clear-thinking portrait of our state like "Arid Lands." Comprehensive and well-organized, this documentary about the Hanford nuclear reservation and Columbia Basin of south-central Washington makes excellent viewing for any Washingtonian seeking to further understand the complexities of the region once considered a nuclear wasteland.

There's no question that the area retains a uniquely foreboding reputation as an Atomic Age trouble zone. Since the government built nuclear reactors there in 1943 (thus creating the plutonium used to end World War II), the mid-Columbia Basin has been a place of countless ironies and identities.

Consider these contradictions: Two-thirds of the world's high-level nuclear waste remains at Hanford, and $2 billion in annual federal cleanup funds are a boon to the region, yet cleanup remains slow and unimpressive. Tri-Cities economies are facing devastation when those funds run out. And yet, President Clinton's establishment of the federally protected Hanford Reach National Monument in 2000 has resulted in the return of a "shrub-steppe" ecosystem that has some naturalists marveling at nature's tenacity.

By avoiding any agenda of their own and giving full voice to nearly 30 residents, experts and other qualified observers with wildly divergent opinions, first-time filmmakers Grant Aaker and Josh Wallaert have made "Arid Lands" a must-see for all Washingtonians.

The filmmakers encourage the viewer to think of geography on personal terms, and this no-frills passion elevates "Arid Lands" above so many other eco-documentaries that are rarely seen beyond classrooms.

As for dispensing colorful gems of wisdom, here's a few from one of the film's passionate naturalists: "Stay close to your food. Understand your home. Know how to have a sense of place. Guard your family. Know your community. And know where the water goes when you flush the toilet."

Jeff Shannon: j.sh@verizon.net