Hanford Test Reactor On Standby O’Leary Keeps Facility Operational Until Decision Made On Nation’s Tritium Source

A Hanford reactor will remain open for at least two years as a possible source of tritium for nuclear weapons, Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary said Wednesday.

O’Leary’s decision to place the Fast Flux Test Facility reactor on “hot standby” - which had been anticipated for a week - left open the door for Hanford to get back into the nuclear weapons production business.

O’Leary, whose last day in the Clinton administration is Friday, said the decision came down to economics. A study found it would cost just an additional $7 million over the next two years to keep the reactor alive as a tritium option, she said.

That’s on top of the $88 million already budgeted for FFTF for the two years.

“This decision in our view makes economic sense,” O’Leary said from Washington, D.C.

O’Leary called FFTF an “insurance policy” for the next two years as the administration decides how to ensure a stable source of tritium, which degrades and must be constantly replenished.

Tritium is a radioactive gas that boosts the explosive power of nuclear weapons. Without a new source, the nation could drop beneath its present required levels of tritium between 2006 and 2016, according to Department of Energy estimates.

O’Leary’s decision is likely to cause a political battle in the Northwest, where many are opposed to additional nuclear weapons production at Hanford.

Opponents also fear the decision will divert money intended for cleanup at Hanford, the nation’s most polluted nuclear site. O’Leary said cleanup activities will not be affected.