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NUCLEAR WASTE |
GroundwaterWhat is the state of Hanford’s groundwater today? Some of Hanford’s groundwater is contaminated but currently the threat to humans is very low. While about 80 square miles of Hanford’s groundwater have contaminants that exceed drinking water standards, no one uses that water. Ecology expects all groundwater to be restored to the highest potential use which is drinking water. Groundwater cleanup is underway.But in the case of some some contaminants, there is no technology available to clean the water. It may remain unusable for hundreds of years. Some radioactive and hazardous contaminants do enter the Columbia River today. The amounts are very small and are immediately diluted once the groundwater enters the river. What about in the future? The risk from Hanford’s groundwater will increase if we do not remove the contamination sources. The 53 million gallons of highly toxic and radioactive waste in aging underground tanks several miles from the river pose the greatest risk. The tanks will not hold their contents forever. If they leak, the contamination will eventually reach the Columbia River. To learn more about contamination and treatment technologies, check out our educational brochure, Cleaning Hanford's Groundwater. WHAT IS GROUNDWATER?HANFORD GROUNDWATERFrequently Asked Questions | Groundwater Contamination at Hanford | New! Groundwater Operable Unit Information | Major Contaminants | Sources of Contamination | Remediation | Groundwater Modeling | Apatite OTHER LINKSRadiation and Toxicity Glossary
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