Dear Ken Nile of the Oregon Department of Energy, We are writing to insist that USDOE hold public hearings in Portland regarding the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement(PEIS)for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). As you know, the GNEP PEIS addresses the environmental impacts of the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for the purposes of nuclear energy. As one of the potential locations for the execution of this project, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and by extension, the Northwest region could be deeply impacted by this program. We think that the city of Portland, OR is an essential place to hold a public hearing where citizens can verbally submit their comments and responses to the PEIS. Here is why we believe it is necessary to push for a Portland meeting: -Portland is one of the biggest population centers of the Northwest, with millions of people that are affected and will continue to be affected by High-Level Radioactive Waste at Hanford. -Portland is located right along the Columbia River. Unfortunately, so is Hanford. Because of it's location, Portland is especially vulnerable to the High-Level Radioactive waste that could end up seeping through the groundwater into the river. -The implementation of GNEP would require the transportation of spent nuclear fuel from around the country. If Hanford is chosen, this highly dangerous radioactive material will be shipped through communities in the Northwest on its way to Hanford. Highways on the transportation route run through Portland. We know that the state of Oregon has been instrumental in the past in standing strong for enforceable cleanup deadlines adn a "cleanup first" policy at Hanford. It is clear that you have the health and safety of the communities and ecology of the Northwest as your priority. Please help us in securing a Portland GNEP PEIS public hearing by insisting that the DOE hold a public meeting in Portland. Thanks for your support!

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