While there are some very real issues at Hanford, the issue this week has been vastly blown out of proportion in the media (I work fairly near to the the location). There is a massive amount of work that has gone into detection of any kind of nuclear leak around here.
This seems to be universal with anything involving radioactivity.
The local media (aka, seattle) seems to have gotten the level of actual danger correct.. it was a 30 second blurb on NPR with a statement indicating no radioactivity had been released.
The media outrage is because the federal government has failed to clean up a project started ~30 years ago. Every time something bad happens (tunnel collapse, workers speak out when the federal gov't shafts them on health issues) it's like re-opening the wound.
I mean, how many times has Washington sued the federal government over this thing? Two? Three?
While this particular issue may not be much of a change, the overall situtaion still seems like one worth drawing attention to at any opportunity to encourage the federal government to stop putting off cleaning it up.
