09/19/07 Hastings urges caution about Black Rock seepage study

Washington Ag September 19, 2007 A technical report issued by the Bureau of Reclamation yesterday on water seepage from the potential Black Rock Reservoir indicates a majority of such leakage would move in the direction of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and raise the water table there. Joye Redfield-Wilder, spokesperson for the Washington Department of Ecology, says that is of concern given the time and money the state has invested to clean up the radioactive waste at Hanford. Wilder: "The state does not want to see the clean up work undone at Hanford or any of these contaminants move toward the Columbia River." Congressman Doc Hastings issued a statement on the Bureau's study cautioning everyone against jumping to conclusions. He says the analysis only forecasts what seepage could occur if nothing was done to stop or contain it. Ecology's Redfield-Wilder says mitigation of seepage would add costs. Wilder: "If they would implement lining or build a wall or something that would also add costs to the reservoir so they would have to add that into the cost-benefit of the reservoir." The Black Rock reservoir is one alternative being studied to provide more water storage for irrigation and fish in the Yakima River Basin. I'm Bob Hoff.