"Out on the Hanford site, we have 177 waste tanks that have exceeded their design life. A third of them have leaked. What will happen with that material that's in the ground, and whether it pollutes the river 100,000 years from now, is being studied. Not a good thing." Those are the words of Dr. Walter Tamosaitis…and he should know. Tamosaitis was the research and technology manager for URS Corporation until this summer, when he says he presented a list of almost 50 concerns. Ironically, doing his job cost the good Doctor his job. So the question remains, If Dr. Walter Tamosaitis was the watchdog before he became the Whistleblower, who’s minding the shop now? According to Tamosaitis, his original team is still working at the vitrification plant, but they have a new manager. He’s a Bechtel guy not a science guy. So when you look to the east and see an enormous mushroom cloud erupting over the Gorge, don’t worry: It’ll never reach Wall Street.
- KBOO