The Vacation's Over.........

Friends,
It has been quite a while since I last posted but it certainly hasn't been due to any lack of things to discuss. Actually, you could say that we have been in an information overload mode. John Roberts on the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers forced to withdraw from consideration, Scooter Libby indicted in the Valerie Plame case with Bush's Brain still the subject of investigation. Three major hurricanes causing unprecedented damage in both human and political terms. In Iraq, the death toll continues to mount with American casualties reaching the 2,000 mark and Iraqi civilian deaths in the tens of thousands. These are just some of the "headline" stories over the past two months. Many more things on both a national and local level have continued to consume our attention.

As those of you who have read this page over the months know, I have expressed my disappointment that Senator Cantwell has seldom, if ever, seen fit to respond to frequent emails or requests to post on this blog. Well it must be election season because, in the past month, I must have received a good dozen press releases from the office of our good junior senator. Today, I pass along two of the most recent releases; one dealing with Harriet Miers withdrawal from Supreme Court consideration and the other dealing with the cutting of funds for the cleanup operation at Hanford. I do this in the interest of fair play and in the hopes that, now that they have found my email address in their files, perhaps the senator my be moved to submit something that will speak directly to those of us who have felt betrayed by certain votes and statements.

And now, Senator Cantwell:
*************************************************************************************

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell
Washington


Press Release
October 27, 2005
Contact:
Charla Neuman
202-224-3441


Senator Cantwell's Statement on the Withdrawal of the Harriet Miers Supreme Court Nomination

Protecting an American's privacy is the biggest issue of the 21st century, from medical records to personal financial records, from what companies do with our personal information to what we do in our own homes. The next Court will struggle to protect civil rights and liberties in our society. I hope the President chooses someone who shows a respect for our fundamental constitutional right of privacy.

I hope the President will send a new nominee who clearly states her beliefs in an American's right to privacy because it will be at the core of many of the Court's decisions. President Bush should consider a qualified woman, as women bring important perspectives to all the issues the Court considers.

I urge the President to seek the perspective of a bipartisan group of Senators in choosing the new nominee. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to assure that the next Supreme Court justice is qualified and has appropriate judicial temperament to merit being placed on the high court.
###
************************************************************************************

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell
Washington


Press Release
October 27, 2005
Contact:
Charla Neuman
202-224-3441

Cantwell Blasts Cuts to Hanford Cleanup Budget, Criticizes Energy Department's Mixed Messages and Missed deadlines

Missing tank waste deadline would jeopardize entire tank waste cleanup program

WASHINGTON, DC : Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) denounced under-funding of toxic waste cleanup on the Hanford site, and questioned Energy Secretary Sam Bodman on a recent audit that stated the Department will miss a key cleanup deadline.

"Cutting cleanup funds is too risky for the people of the Columbia River basin," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Short-changing the cleanup is short-sighted. The job needs to get done now."

An October Department of Energy Inspector General report found that the department will miss a September 2006 deadline for waste cleanup at Hanford's C-Tank Farm. The report found that the Department of Energy did not base its project cost and retrieval plan on past experience and currently available data. The audit also found that the Department had not taken action to ensure that resources were available for cleanup.

The Department of Energy cut funding for Hanford tank waste cleanup activities by $89 million, or 22 percent in its Fiscal Year 2006 request. Overall the administration cut $297 million from Hanford cleanup compared to last years funding level.

"Sixty-seven toxic waste tanks at the Hanford site are either leaking or suspected of leaking," said Cantwell. "With tank waste threatening the Columbia River, we can't afford to slash funding and miss deadlines. We need action, not mixed messages from the Department of Energy."

The 1989 cleanup agreement between the Department of Energy, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen0cy (EPA), established firm milestones for completing the retrieval of the waste from the 149 single-shell tanks located at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. One of the important benchmarks in the Agreement was the retrieval of waste from all of the 16 single-shell tanks located at the Hanford's C-Tank Farm by the end of Fiscal Year 2006. Removal of waste from the 16 tanks was to be completed by September 2006, at an approximate cost of $90 million. Recently, the Department of Energy admitted that it will not meet this deadline, and will not complete waste removal activities at the C-Tank Farm until 2007. In addition, waste retrieval costs have increased to $215 million, more than doubling the initial estimate.

# # #

**************************************************************************************

Peace,

Chad (The Left) Shue