Erin Hut, Communications Director, ehut@spokanecity.org
Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 1:02 p.m.
In a letter sent Thursday, Mayor Lisa Brown again voiced her opposition to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) plan to continuously transport hazardous waste through the City of Spokane, citing public safety and environmental concerns.
Following a recent test transport, the DOE is looking to frequently transport low-activity radioactive waste from the Hanford Nuclear Site to facilities in Texas and Utah in its liquid form. Plans were made to send the shipments through Spokane after partners in Oregon expressed concerns about the associated risk to any community through which it is trucked.
In her letter, Mayor Brown made clear that if shipments must be routed through Spokane, they should first be grouted on-site prior to transfer.
“Transporting untreated liquid waste through the heart of Spokane poses serious risks to our residents, roads, and river,” Mayor Brown said. “Spokane should not be put in danger for the sake of convenience or cost-saving measures. If this material must be moved, it should be grouted and stabilized before coming close to our city.”
Mayor Brown called on the DOE to continue providing advanced notification and coordination with local emergency services for any shipment that may come through Spokane. She also asked the department to supply Spokane with federal funding for training and equipment specific to radiological response, publish a detailed worst-case scenario analysis for urban transport incidents, and delay final route approval until Spokane’s safety concerns are addressed and mitigation resources are in place.
