ICP in the time of Coronavirus

A Columbian novel written in 1985 entitled Love in the Time of Cholera told the story of a woman whose husband was dedicated to the eradication of cholera in the late 1800s. In it, it is said of a central figure, "He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves." 

Nuclear cleanup is nothing like a love story - with the possible exception of certain types being declared "hot." But this quote has firm application in the way that operating procedures must be continually reinvented in the presence of new and under-understood threats. And so it is with the ICP CAB and our public interactions in the time of Coronavirus. Last year, we postponed meetings, canceled meetings, Zoomed meetings, and even actually met in person under similarly re-birthed conditions. 

Unfortunately, 2021 doesn't appear to be more certain to any meaningful degree. But fortunately, the team of employees tackling the real hot work in the Idaho desert continues to be able to reinvent ways that allow the meaningful process to continue. Nowhere is that more evident than in the IWTU, where it seems that despite the impediments we may be on the verge of beginning to process the 900,000 gallons of sodium-bearing waste that have obviously been obstinate. 

Furthermore, the long-awaited demolition of facilities at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) has also moved forward - owing to the fact that single individuals in large earthworking machines present few difficulties for the spread of a virus, and even if it did, the talented staff would find a way to continue the cleanup.

Our next chance to be updated on these and other topics will be our January 28th meeting - held in no particular location except that mysterious cloud - but also accessible to anyone from anywhere in the world and wearing whatever version of pajamas best suits you. As always, we invite all members of the public to participate and appreciate the opportunity to represent our communities by serving as members of the ICP Citizens Advisory Board.