Through water systems, they enter the food chain and find
their way into human systems, accumulating in glands and
bones as potent carcinogens. Radioactivity affects genes as
well. In the last few years, numerous species of frogs have
been studied in the American midwest revealing a startling
rise in the incidence of birth defects. Frogs are considered to
be an accurate barometer of changes in an ecosystem, because
of their permeable skin. This does not bode well.

If you have reached this far in these notes, then I
can confess to you now that I harboured a secret hope to trav-
el to Hanford as a healer. I naively envisioned my partner and
I as a seed of Canadian environmental sanity, ready to con-
duct some sort of silent rite to purify the land in whatever
small way we could.

But I will also tell you now that it did not work. The
land is beyond repair. And so we have come away only with
firsthand experience of Dead Land, and a paranoiac fear of
hereditary genetic damage (having walked through some of
the fields to photograph). I feel a bit like a moth to a flame,
enchanted with the need to know the fire, and potentially
extinguished (with about as much ceremony). Don’t get me
wrong - I don’t feel sorry for myself. But it was a very strange
choice of holiday. I would never go to Hanford again.

I guess if there is a redeeming factor in the mistake,

14 Influx: Magazine February 1999

| was trying to sort
out exactly why | had
come all the way
from Vancouver to
the most terrifying
square footage I'd
ever occupied - on
purpose.

it’s probably the fact that I can tell this story and not have to
feel shy about my ‘environmentalist’ ideals. I followed this
trail back, to the source of some of our legacy. And this was
what I found:

In spite of the fact that the Hanford projects have
dim-wittedly injected radioactive poisons into a major vein of
the continent's water system, there is still a reactor running
there (by people who did not instill me with confidence).
Why? To feed the needs of an ever-growing human population
myopically addicted to consumption, with profit as motiva-
tion. Is it possible to profit from global demise?

Surely we can be smarter than this. Teleologically
speaking, we’re shitting where we eat.

But wait...maybe this story has a happy ending
after all. You see, Canada has had great success selling its
famous CANDU reactors at a bargain price of $35billion to
many countries around the world. And our great achieve-
ments in this industry has contributed, in no small capacity,
to our marvellous public health care system, which is right
now working on a cure for the cancers that any one of us
might develop in the future.

So rest easy...

nuclear plants |

the food chain and find
systems, accumulating in glands and

‘But wil ako tll you now that it did not work. The
land is beyond repair. And so we have come away only with
firsthand experience of Dead Land, and a paranoiae fear of
hereditary lamage (having walked through some of
the flelds to photograph. I feel abit like @ fame,
enchanted with the need to know the fire, cently
extinguished (with about as much ceremony). Don't get me
wrong -I don’t fel sorry for myself. Butit was avery strange
choice of holiday. I would never go to Hanford again

1 guess if there isa redeeming factor in the mistake,

Influx’ Magazine February 1999

| was trying to sort
out exactly why | had
come all the way
from Vancouver to
the most terrifying
square footage I'd
ever occupied - on

purpose.

ford projects have
into a major vein of

'be smarter than this. Teleologcally
shitting where we eat.

But wait..maybe this story has « happy ending
afterall ¥
many cou the world. And our great achieve-
ments in this industry has contribute, in no small capacity,
to our marvellous public health eare system, which is right
‘now working on a cure for the cancers that any one of us
‘might develop in the furre.

So rest easy

nuclear plants