Put People’s Safety Before Pr Worries

A tank explodes at one of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation’s most dangerously contaminated buildings. Hanford officials delay notification of local and federal emergency authorities. Days later, Hanford officials say they don’t know what blew up or why - but they do insist it wasn’t radioactive.

Hmmm. This real-life scenario from last week’s news calls to mind a scene from the movie “Star Wars.” After a noisy battle with some storm troopers , Han Solo informs a suspicious voice on the Death Star’s intercom that everything is under control. Situation normal. Minor radiation leak. Everything’s fine. Just fine. Stay away. Then he shoots the intercom.

Real life usually isn’t as dramatic as a science fiction movie - except when it’s more so.

But it’s never a good idea to shoot out the intercom. Tends to arouse suspicions.

No one needs to remind the folks at Hanford that they are responsible for some of planet’s most dangerous waste. Why else would they spend so much on public relations?

But after last Wednesday’s mishap, it does seem necessary to remind the folks at Hanford that prompt, clear communication about a real accident could do more to inspire public confidence and protect public safety than a year’s worth of puffy press releases and ostentatious safety drills.

What good does it do to brag about a successful accident-response drill when the real thing is a fiasco?

If a real catastrophe ever occurs at Hanford, many lives will depend on prompt, clear communication with authorities in charge of emergency responses.

Last week, Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim declared that “we should have been immediately notified.” His county lies downwind from the nuclear reservation. However, his office and the state were notified three hours after Wednesday’s mishap. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was notified six hours afterward. The delays appeared to violate a rule requiring much timelier notice.

Eventually, investigations may bring out the whole story. That would be helpful.

Assuming this really was a minor chemical explosion, the region and the nuclear reservation still can consider it a reminder that there are serious hazards at Hanford. Some of them are radioactive. And some involve the attitudes and information systems that Hanford managers employ when they are confronted with a potentially dangerous situation. The most important danger is not the risk of institutional embarrassment. It’s the menace to public safety that ought to guide everyone’s conduct.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board