SUGSTERATLES Nutrient mediums for a bacterial culture notes from the nuclesoraqround out (in true British Columbia pristine Canadian wilderness. We cal crisis. So it seems to make sen of natural splendour, catching the: like candles. At least, that’s how I ft il September. I’m not sure where the idea came from - maybe some latent urge absorbed by osmosis as a child while sitting through all those Nature of Thin, episodes waiting for Disney on Sunday nights, or mai ae shock of those flights from Vancouver to we that clearcut patchwork quilt we call our f year the autumn breeze car- ried a warning. about the ecologi- dutifully visit our sites fore they flicker out rt if it might be more fruitful lisappearing wilderness, and k? The ecological crisis is ersed in it. And in many a place where it's quite have to look very hard, terms (environment, ¢ vided me with a s Vancouverites live within 2 takes humanity has ever mad Woohoo! Pack up the Wally World! Except i in this few simple search :) the Internet pro- would have it, of the worst mis- he United States heading = 7. through — Washington — aS or And it was pretty surreal we crossed the Columbia and entered the ‘zone’, sensing the eerie presence of secrets hanging in the air above the grassland. And it was absolutely over the top when our unlikely destina- : I was a bit surprised - to find that we could drive right © up to the power plant. I didn’t _ to do, so like a : “Tour? Uh, no.. “Well do you wanna come on one? There’re iwe free spots on the one o’clock. If you follow me, you ¢’n come.” i turned out, we had arrived on one of two days out the reac- well-versed i in oe reactionary environmentalist tendencies of - we’re going to words and images : chris jones about the CEO reminded me of Mr. Burns...). He a pretty standard speech, but I was surprised to arn that the Hanford reactor is run by a private company. _ government merely leases the land to the comp: strictly i in the business of selling its electricity te After a security procedure that involved having a : _ bodies X-rayed for explosives, being issued a magnetic identi- ‘ty pad, and instructions on how to clear air-lock doorways As luck would have it, Vancouverites live within a day’s drive of one of the worst mistakes humanity has ever made. _ Woohoo! : bo ‘more su —— brain. I understo reactor: fuel ioe Canadian art students, the employees of the plant welcomed _ us with open doors. Surprise, surprise - the people of Hanford pare a reception. the way out the door and noticed a piece of that said “not in service”, my stomach ot | worse. Next stop was the — core, at a telephor cae stic ‘was ee © inside my head, prompti al side was [oe alittle distress at this ever occupied about my own g to penetrate the luminous sure oe these people were liquid with my eyes obviously so excite: We re up through leve office building whe: enough to pre- laden with free ‘maust have appeared like curiously py excused ourselves and head- road, ignoring the speed limit into laughter, full of disbe- as we sped, their rotund — Ittooka whe to process what happened to us. On the way we had wondered if we'd be the reactor on tiptoe from river. And as the DOE's technology may not : dumped into the dirt" ( States permanently. Discdbued econ the Hanford site are 177 stor- __ age tanks each holding 210,000 cubic metres of highly toxic waste. 67 of these tanks have been leaking since the 70's, each _ with an estimated 3,700 cubic metres leaked to date. Some of the dirt in the fields around Hanford is extremely radioactive; just walking = ‘such an area could result in n damaging SUGSTRATLES Nutrient mediums for a bacterial culture notes from the aU Ta my life Pve usualy out (in tue British Cohumbi about the eclogi- al ers. Sot seems to make seni to dusflly vst our sites fof natural splendour, catching them Before they Hicker out like candles. Atleast that’s how I fel ubtl September. Ti not sure where the pew idea came fom - ‘maybe some latent urge absorbed by osmosis asa child while ‘iting through ll those Notre of Thingy episodes wating for Disney on Sunday nigh, or maybe the shock of those ight from Vancouver to Calgary above’ that clearcut patchwork st we cal our foest-but st year the aucun eee ca ‘ed a warning. "And beg toner iit might be more fut to suspend the, chase for ourdisappearing wilderness, and ‘urn around to study our tall legacy. "But where shobld we look? The ecological criss is happening ll around - wee amersed in it. And in many ra this aks i iil to se clear. So T decided 0 visit 1 place where is quite abviows~ymt 0 make it easy: Didet fhve to Took very hardy actualy. With few simple search terms (environment, calamity, and doom) the Internet pro- vided me with a suggestion. As luck would have it, ‘Vancouverits ive within ad's drive of abe ofthe worst mi ‘takes humanity has ever made, ‘Woohoo! Pack up the = we're going t0 Wally World! Except in this ease fe gle he United States Deperenent of Bory Hf Si ad hy nur AIK} ro ee eee vet ted dT a ge oie ‘mini-van and turn left at Seattle, festng “op no. ih ee ee Woktagon ‘pier aie ety trea eae Seger eae, Pees Pepto, Soe foe ine de Bea Sur ae ee tte tn op ee eS fee Sem epee pe le eae fone Igo our tie pe Fae aaa Ee eet inten pa ee et eee ee ere eee Sensei Sere ee wor cist ee assailant “Tour? Ub, no." Well do you wanna come on one? There 160 fice spors on the one o'clock Ifyou follow me, you cn come.” As it turned out, we had arrived on one of to days year tha the plant allows the pubic vo check out the reac for. And while Thad expected 10 meet suspicious wardens, swell-versed in the reactionary environmentalist tendencies of ‘Canadian art students, dhe employees ofthe plant welcomed. ‘swith open doors. Surprise surprie- the people of Hanford fare proud of ther plant After some huried deliberation, we ‘ecided to opt forthe experience, and joined the tour. "ie began ina small theatre where we met the video image of Hanforels CEO. (it was at this point that I began to ‘suspect that Matt Groening had taken the same tur years ‘0, and had come avay withthe inspiration for The Simpuons, jords and images : chris jones something about the CEO reminded me of Mr. Burns.) He Gelvered a prety standard speech, but I was suprised to Jearn thatthe Hanford reactor is run by aprvate company ‘The government merely leases the land 10 the company, which i strc in the busines f selling its electricity tothe ‘Seat area, ‘Ate a security procedure that involved hang our bodies X-rayed for explostes, being sued a magnetic identi- ‘ty pad, and instructions on how to clea airlock doorways As luck would have it, Vancouverites live within a day’s drive of one of the worst mistakes humanity has ever made. Woohoo! within 3 seconds of access, the tur moved on into the cent ‘Control rom for the reactor tell. I had expected to find a control panel beyond my_ imagination, but was surprised to find the set for a 1950% Bemorie. J halfexpected to hear ‘Captain Kick sk Me. Sooloo to put us into watp factor 5. Bven_more surprising. was the activity in this clear bran. T understood the basic principle behind a ‘nuclear reactor: fuel rds ae used to inate a chain reaction ‘that produces heat which changes water into steam which cranks turbines, creating elecciy. What T didnot fully “understand, however, Was the fact that a reactors basically a