Some friends and I were swimming in the river today when we saw a rare sight. Two large tug boats were taking a barge up the Columbia River right past Howard Amon Park. The barge and tugs made for some large swells as we swam but more significant is the nuclear history that lives on at Hanford.
Let me start with a disclaimer, I am not an expert in this subject so the information here is very superficial, I just find it interesting. I included some links with more detailed information in this post.
Nuclear Reactor Compartment on Barge Docked at Off Loading Point Headed for “Reactor Graveyard” at Hanford
The barge had a huge, encased nuclear reactor compartment sitting on the deck.
This was the second of two retiring nuclear Reactor compartments that have arrived at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation for long-term storage in the last two weeks.
Its a fascinating sight seeing the technology, time and engineering put into transporting these retiring reactor compartments for long-term storage at Hanford.
I first heard of these when I worked as a journalist. I’ve seen one go upriver several years ago. A few weeks ago, I saw an empty barge going up the Columbia past Richland and I wondered to myself if it was testing the waters for another nuclear reactor compartment transport trip.
Sure enough, I saw the first one two weeks ago, docked at the off-loading area off 11th in north Richland near PNNL. Then, the second in two weeks past us on our swim this morning so I decided to ride my bike up to the off-loading area and get some more pictures.
Welders Preparing the Encased Reactor Compartment for Transport on Land
Lampson Cranes Shuffling Transport Supplies to the Barge
A couple of years ago, I went on a Hanford bus tour that was fascinating. One brief stop was at the huge pit that holds the retired naval nuclear reactor compartments. Some are from ships, others are cut from the hulls of nuclear submarines. These satellite images show the storage area that is left open to air. I’m told this is so foreign satellites can monitor the reactor compartments as part of nuclear treaty agreements.
Over 120 Containers are Meticulously Lined up in the Reactor Compartment Graveyard on Hanford’s Central Plateau Area
Zoomed Out View to Show Context
Even Further Zoomed Out to Show Context Showing Columbia River and Franklin County Farmland
So, while there are the old Hanford nuclear reactors like the historic B Reactor and others which have been cocooned for long-term safety and containment, there are more nuclear reactor compartments arriving regularly at the Hanford Site. And the only operating nuclear reactor near the site is the Columbia Generating Station operated by Energy Northwest which provides 1,150 megawatts of power to the BPA grid and is the only commercially operating nuclear power plant in the Pacific Northwest.
How do you feel about this long-term storage of nuclear reactor compartments just outside our back door? This also brings up the debate over Yucca Mountain and the billions of dollars invested in a mothballed facility originally slated for other long-term radioactive storage.
Security Boat Patrols Around Barge as Crews Work to Unload the Retiring Naval Nuclear Reactor Compartment
