Some fertilizer sold in Washington state since 1996
contained uranium and other wastes from the production of nuclear
reactor fuel; in fact, before the state’s Department of Agriculture
issued a stop-sale order on Feb. 17, over 390,000 gallons of the
material had been distributed.
State health
officials found out about the product after a Seattle Times
reporter asked how much uranium was in the fertilizer. When the
agency looked into it, officials discovered the waste material had
never been registered. According to Siemens Power Corp. in
Richland, Wash., a nuclear-fuel maker near Hanford, there’s no need
for concern: The fertilizer contains less radioactive material than
is found in most ammonium fertilizers.
“I can’t
stress enough the minuscule quantity of uranium in this material,”
says Wayne Baker of Siemens, who adds that the company never knew
it had to register the product with the state. “This is a common
chemical – you have uranium in your body.”
Critics say Siemens deliberately side-stepped
the registration process in order to bypass testing for safety and
effectiveness.
“This company is looking to get
rid of their nuclear waste because they don’t want to pay to store
it,” says Laurie Valeriano, a fertilizer specialist with the
nonprofit Washington Toxics Coalition. “Their actions are
outrageous – it’s possible there could be a range of health effects
from this waste product.”
The fertilizer is now
being analyzed by the Washington Department of Health. Anyone who
has used the Siemens product can call the state’s Agriculture
Department for more information at
360/902-2025.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Look at that big plant!.
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