Nuclear waste cleanup

Thank you for the article "Cost of Nuclear Waste Cleanup in the Billions," April 8.

We often hear about other nuclear sites when disasters happen in other countries, but rarely about those here in the United States that are not only costing taxpayers billions to clean up, but are also continuing to be used.

Missing from the article is any mention of General Electric. General Electric ran the Hanford Nuclear Reservation from 1946-65 and during that time routinely dumped millions of gallons of radioactive material on the ground into shallow pits, long trenches, and ponds.

General Electric also ran intentional experiments which released huge amounts of radiation and have greatly affected the people who live in the area.

Yet, despite your article, a lot of people don't know whom to blame for these sorts of disasters. General Electric no longer manages the Hanford site, so it will not have to pay for the cleanup. But General Electric does run the Knolls Atomic Power Lab in New York and should be held responsible for its upkeep and worker protection. Elizabeth D. Kaseman, Stoughton, Wis.

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