Oregon Department of Energy to take part in talk on Hanford cleanup
CONTACT:
Cliff Voliva, 503-378-3637
Rachel Wray, 503-689-0294
Our Nuclear Legacy or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Clean Up the Bomb
SALEM – On June 10, Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver will host the “Science on Tap” lecture series with a presentation on the Hanford nuclear site. The program will feature speakers Dirk Dunning, chemical engineer and nuclear specialist from the Oregon Department of Energy; Abigail Cermak, Hanford coordinator with Columbia Riverkeeper; and Tom Carpenter, executive director of Hanford Challenge. The trio will talk about Hanford’s history, building of the atomic bomb, and the government’s role in cleaning up Hanford nuclear waste.
The “Science on Tap” lecture series offers the public a chance to learn about science in a leisurely setting. The event will be held Wednesday, June 10, at Kiggins, 1011 Main St., Vancouver. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7:00. Suggested cover is $10.00. Attendees can purchase food and beverage at the theatre. For more details, please visit: http://www.viaproductions.org/events/kiggins_june10_hanford.
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, located on the Columbia River in southeastern Washington, is the largest contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere. Used to make plutonium for nuclear bombs during WWII and the Cold War, the Hanford site generated vast quantities of chemical and radioactive pollution. Cleanup at Hanford began in 1989 and will continue for generations to come.
Dunning has worked on the Hanford cleanup project at the Oregon Department of Energy for 22 years. ODOE represents Oregonians by providing a critical, objective voice in technical reviews and policy discussions related to the cleanup, which is overseen and regulated by the federal government. The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board also provides input to the U.S. Department of Energy and its regulators.
About the Oregon Department of Energy: The Oregon Department of Energy helps Oregonians improve the energy efficiency of their homes, provides policy expertise to prepare for Oregon’s future energy needs, staffs the Energy Facility Siting Council, provides technical and financial assistance to encourage investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, promotes the cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site, and ensures state preparedness to respond to emergencies at energy facilities.