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YAKIMA, Wash. ? Six underground tanks that hold a brew of radioactive and toxic waste at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site are leaking, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday.

The leaking tanks strike another blow to federal efforts to clean up south-central Washington's Hanford nuclear reservation, where any successes often are overshadowed by delays, budget overruns and technological challenges.

State officials just last week announced that one of Hanford's 177 underground tanks was leaking in the range of 150 to 300 gallons a year, posing a risk to groundwater and rivers. So far, nearby wells haven't detected higher radioactivity levels.

Inslee traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to discuss the problem with federal officials. He said Friday he learned during meetings that six tanks are leaking waste.

The tanks already are long past their intended 20-year life span. They hold millions of gallons of a highly radioactive stew left from decades of plutonium production for nuclear weapons.

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So the tanks are past their lifespan. What did they think would happen?

Probably thought we would have the Nevada mountain disposal opened, years ago.

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They were designed for 20 years, serving as dump space for HNR's 9 plutonium & U233 producing reactors, and they've been used since the 1940's so yeah, they're leaking - dumb. That stuff should have been in Yucca Mtn. decades ago, but the enviros got squishy & Nevada did a NIMBY. At least there not much is at risk but tumbleweeds & tarantulas.

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They were designed for 20 years, serving as dump space for HNR's 9 plutonium & U233 producing reactors, and they've been used since the 1940's so yeah, they're leaking - dumb. That stuff should have been in Yucca Mtn. decades ago, but the enviros got squishy & Nevada did a NIMBY.

Enviro's and NIMBY's should be shot on sight. :p

At least there not much is at risk but tumbleweeds & tarantulas.

Oh noes! The giant tarantulas and killer tumbleweeds are coming!

Maybe it's time they started launching this stuff out in to space? Just, y'know... Not on Russian rockets. They have a bad habit of going kablooey lately. :p

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Hmmm... a radioactive tarantula would be a nice addition to my current collection...

It could be the other way around though.

YOU could be a nice addition to the radioactive tarantula human collection. Just saying ...

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Hmmm... a radioactive tarantula would be a nice addition to my current collection...

Got a tarantula? So do I - a Goliath Bird Eater. Goldie's leg-span is now closing in on 13 inches. A big, bad girl, she is - and hand tamed :)

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Got a tarantula? So do I - a Goliath Bird Eater. Goldie's leg-span is now closing in on 13 inches. A big, bad girl, she is - and hand tamed :)

13 inches? Holy cow aren't you afraid it might eat you? Pics!!! pretty please with sugar on top!

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