I was discussing the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) Andrews facility with a friend the other day. She asked me, point blank, "why shouldn't we dump nuclear waste in Andrews?" I had been ranting about the situation for half an hour when she dropped this question. So, let me draw deep breath and calm myself. Let me talk about this rationally, emotion aside for a few minutes.
The question: Why not dump nuclear waste in West Texas?
On the surface (figuratively) the site west of Andrews seems to fit the ticket. Very few people inhabit the area. It is some distance from the closest towns. The land is desolate and not fit for most forms of agriculture. And, most quoted, the WCS facility will generate money for the City of Andrews, the County of Andrews, and the state of Texas.
We are told that the geography of the area makes it perfect for the long-term storage of nuclear and other hazardous waste, because of the layers of clay that make the ground impermeable and prevent leakage of the hazardous material into the ground and ultimately into the water table and the local area of the Ogallala Aquifer.
Finally, the WCS facility has created jobs for the Andrews area.
Who could object to this facility based on the above information. Why, I can almost hear bluebirds of happiness singing in the background.
I would like to propose my own question: Why would ANYONE in his right mind WANT nuclear waste from thirty-six other states to be dumped in the person's backyard?
The WCS facility already stores medical waste that contains low levels of radiation. It also stores waste from some federal weapons and other nuclear facilities. This waste is already there, and there is nothing we can do about that, as far as I can determine. Even if no more waste were dumped there, the WCS facility would still be operation for perpetuity. Employees would be needed from now to Kingdom Come to keep the facility running, to monitor for malfunctions in the security and venting systems, and to monitor the environment in order to detect possible leaks of the hazardous materials stored in the facility. So, money would continue to pour into the Andrews area from WCS payrolls, and Andrews citizens would continue to be employed at the facility.
Again, my question, why does anyone want nuclear waste from THIRTY-SIX more states?
Assuming that nuclear facilities in Texas (electrical plants, medical facilities and hospitals, and miscellaneous nuclear operations) also dump their waste at the WCS facility, profits would continue to be generated for WCS, and payoffs, I mean, payments (I can sense I am becoming "irrational" again) would continue to the City and County of Andrews, and the state of Texas. This continuing source of revenue is apparently not enough for WCS, and herein lies the "need" for more nuclear waste being dumped in Texas.
According to WCS information, the fact that the WCS facility would not be profitable was a given back in the planning phase in the mid-nineties. It will become clear to anyone who does even elementary research into the WCS facility that the plan from the very start was to build a facility that would take in nuclear waste on a grand scale, and only in that way would it become profitable. The powers behind WCS do not care about the people of Andrews nor about possible damage to the environment. What they care about is bottom line profits. But, to get the facility going, it had to be sold to the "locals" as a facility that would store only "harmless" medical waste, and that would employ local citizens, thus saving Andrews from inevitable collapse due to the declining oil-fueled economy. I believe that the "sky is falling" mentality played a large part in gaining support for the WCS facility.
Another aspect of the WCS "solution" is the "boost" in the local economy that the WCS payroll will provide, as well as the taxes it will pay over the years. Thus, many residents in Andrews were sold on the project at whatever environmental cost there might be. By extension, if MORE WASTE (such as the nuclear waste from thirty-six other states) were disposed at the WCS Andrews facility, there would be a geometric boost to the economy! There are, in fact, many people in Andrews who are "all for" the acceptance of waste from the other states. All you have to do is watch the "Andrews Solution" commercials on television, or visit the "Texas Solution" website http://www.texassolution.com/ to get an idea of the degree to which many people seem to be "drooling" at the "privilege" of having nuclear waste from other states dumped in Texas.
Who is it going to hurt, really, if all the nuclear waste generated in the United States is dumped at good ol' Andrews, Texas?
I hope that the supporters of this disaster realize that the first persons to suffer will be themselves. Should some accident or criminal act occur, the people of Andrews will be the first victims. I wonder how much the nuclear waste and the WCS payroll will be worth in that scenario?
The Ogallala Aquifer will inevitably be contaminated where it flows under the WCS facility. Who can speculate on what the potential damage will be. But the victims will be whoever must use that aquifer, whether for drinking or for agriculture. Will cotton crops in the area eventually be contaminated? What about oil exploration? Is it not possible that fracturing will allow contaminated water to further infiltrate the environment? Do we even know? But now the circle of victims is even larger.
And one little detail about the WCS license seems to have gone totally unheeded by those who are "pro WCS." That little detail is the section of the license that allows WCS to pull out of the operation after fifteen years (and the clock is ticking, my friends). WCS can simply, AND LEGALLY, just lock the doors and drive away. Who is responsible for the facility and its radioactive contents? Is it just the people of Andrews who wanted the facility? Is it just the "leaders" of the City of Andrews and the County of Andrews?
No class, when WCS walks away, no doubt en route to another site to begin the process again, the People, YOU and ME, the State of Texas, become responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the former WCS site. You and I, as citizens and taxpayers, assume "ownership" of this festering, steaming, contaminated, radioactive quagmire.
This mess does not go away with the election of the next governor and the next legislature. It is here to stay. I will say it with emotion now: THIS RADIOACTIVE NIGHTMARE, BROUGHT ONTO TEXAS BY A HANDFUL OF SCARED PEOPLE AND A GREEDY BILLIONAIRE, AIDED BY THE CORRESPONDING GREEDY POLITICIANS, WILL NOT ONLY LAST THROUGH OUR LIFETIME, BUT WILL STILL BE AROUND HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF YEARS FROM NOW. THANK YOU, ANDREWS...AND THANK YOU, TEXAS SOLUTIONS! WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE?!
By the way, the latest news flash is that the temporary restraining order granted a day or two ago was thrown out. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will very quickly vote on this issue. And it is a foregone conclusion that they will indeed vote this nightmare into reality.
It is also a forgone conclusion that none of the thirty-six states want this mess in their own backyards. Well, most Texans do not want it either. But it appears that it is ours now.
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