My name is Tom Hemphill. I was born in 1944 in Portland, Oregon and I grew up in Richland, WA. Our Dad got a job with GE at Hanford in 1947, the year we moved to Richland. I lived in Richland from 1947 to 1963.

Dad had a degree in biology and was in pre-med school when WW II began. He and Mom both took jobs in the shipyards in Portland in 1942. They moved to Yakima after the war was over and worked there for a couple of years before taking the job at Hanford.

Dad had a very unique job in the beginning, "Site Survey." We learned about what he did years later. Dad's "Site Survey" job was to drive around the desert in an army jeep with a Geiger counter and test jack rabbits, coyotes, birds, and other animals for radioactivity. Later he was promoted to the aquatic biology lab where they focused on the life in the Columbia River. Dad was on that job until his retirement in 1964.

In the beginning, nobody actually knew what our Dads and Moms did in the "Area." All we knew was that they got on a shuttle bus at the corner of our block and went to work. We finally learned what our parents did in around 1957 or '58.

We learned that Dad's research included the affects on the local and migratory aquatic life of the difference in water temperature in the river from the colder water above the nuclear reactors to the warmer water below the reactors. The river water was routed through the reactors to keep the radioactive material cool. This water was not exposed to the radioactivity, or so we were told. I do recall our Dad stating that there seemed to be an unusually high number of mutations in many species of aquatic life. He brought home some samples of fingerling salmon that were deformed. I never really found out if that was abnormal or not.

I recall having to urinate in some bottles that were left on our front porch and then picked up for analysis. We were told in the beginning that they were testing for blood sugar and other things. However, we learned later that they were testing us for radioactivity.

How did living near a nuclear reactor site affect me? Actually, I did not give it much thought. We had a great childhood in a close-knit community. Mom and Dad were happy. School was great. We had lots of friends and lots of places to play.

How do I feel about nuclear power now? I am in favor of more nuclear power plants being constructed throughout North America. I believe that the current technology is such that nuclear power is safe. However, we need to make it more cost-effective.

I believe that the development of nuclear power has become way too political. I grew up near nuclear reactors. Many of my friends and family members worked at Hanford. The jobs were good and the local economy was strong as a result.

Yes, there have been some exposure incidents that have caused medical problems for some people. However, you could say that about a lot of jobs. I had one friend who died at age sixty-two from a lung disease that they think was caused from inhaling too many diesel fumes from airport shuttle buses; he worked as a bellhop at a big hotel for years.

I'll support any efforts to influence politicians to support more nuclear power facilities.

What about nuclear weapons? I wish that would go away, but as long as they are available, we better have ours for defense.