The following exchange is based on a transcript of a videotaped interview with Bob Erkins, formerly a trout farmer in Idaho, conducted on May 18, 2001, by Gary Richardson, Executive Director of the Snake River Alliance. The version published here was modified from the original transcript for length, grammatical, and clarification purposes. Gary Richardson: How did you first become aware that there might be a problem with the aquifer because of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory? Bob Erkins: We were in the process of working with the W.R. Grace Co. in New York to sell them our trout farms which range from one of the largest, the Snake River Trout Co. north of Buhl, all the way across the state of Idaho, from Hagerman through Buhl and Pocatello, Blackfoot, and our feed manufacturing company in Wendell. One of Grace's senior vice presidents sent me a clipping out of a New York paper and said the government wase moving atomic waste from the Denver area, Rocky Flats I think it was, up to Idaho to store. The representatives from Grace said, "We're really not too excited about buying a fish farm that [gets its water from a source above which nuclear waste is buried]." I could understand that because why would you put your outhouse over your main source of water, which is what the spring system is for this entire Hagerman Valley and all the way down the Columbia. So they came out and looked and I went with them to INEEL. And it was amazing! Here, workers at the site were dumping atomic waste in cardboard boxes into the ground and then covering it over with backhoes, not too deep. What they hadn't covered up (it was wintertime) was filled with water, snow and rainwater that collected. I said, "This is asinine to do this. Somebody should have some control over this." So I complained and the next thing I know I had CBS, NBC and ABC camera crews all out. The head of the site's atomic waste division, whose name I no longer remember and I don't care if I remember, said, "What's this little fish farmer down in southern Idaho doing talking about atomic energy. He doesn't know anything about atomic energy." No, I didn't. But I know what atomic energy can do. I was at Hiroshima right after the bomb went off, so I had a better feel than the average Joe does for what atomic waste and atomic power can do. I'm not against atomic power if properly controlled. But I think it's tragic when you have a government agency as you had it then, and I still think to a great extent, covering up for waste disposal and literally covering up the waste disposal over our aquifer. G.R.: What do you think would be the effect if these materials showed up in the aquifer of the Magic Valley? B.E.: Well, it would be disastrous for the economy of the whole Magic Valley [and all down the Columbia River] because the word will spread: "They've got atomic waste in their water." And it will drive property prices down; it will be a mess. Will it happen today or tomorrow? No. But somewhere down the line as that material creeps through that aquifer, as it flows down -remember that's one of the largest aquifers in North America, in the world - it will pop out somewhere along the line, probably all along the line, and be very devastating. G.R.: How important is the purity of the aquifer to the economy? B.E.: I think pure water is beneficial completely to any area. If you don't have pure water and you have to put in systems to purify it, you have a great expense. But if you can't get that water pure, and you have other elements in it - mercury, for instance, when we know the terrible disaster in Japan from mercury in the water when babies were born crippled or born dead and mothers were just devastated. Water is the main ingredient of our life. What are we, 85% water? But you take that and you contaminate it in some way and you drink it and you're contaminating yourself. That's why bottled water sales have gone up so much in recent years, because people are beginning to realize that even city water can be contaminated in one way or another and they don't realize it. I think pure water is essential to a growing economy and water as we know in the west is essential, period. G.R.: Did the potential threat of radionuclides in the aquifer have anything to do with you getting out of the trout business? B.E.: Not really. I just thought it was an opportune time to sell out. I realized that anything that would happen is going to happen way down the line, not tomorrow or a year from now but way down the line. I just said to my wife, you know, this is another problem and if anybody builds on it, as a food industry we could be ruined, but that could be a long time away. Not only if the water became contaminated with atomic waste at the spring source but the publicity is enough to kill the food industry. No person wants to put into their mouth anything that's going to injure them if they know it. G.R.: Is this an issue in the aquaculture industry? B.E.: I don't think this is a major issue that they talk about because most people don't think there is anything they can do about it themselves. But the issue is there... News spreads in various sources and by various ways, and certainly the people who are producing any aquaculture products are not going to bring up this subject, or potato producers or anybody else using water from the springs to irrigate. I don't think they have a concern at the moment or need a concern at the moment, but somewhere down the line they will. G.R.: Don't you think they should get politically involved in a solution? B.E.: Do you find a lot of people getting politically involved? Not when you really come down to it. They should, but no, they don't, and yes, I think they should. I think they should go after this thing in every way they can, to get these waste materials put someplace else. I fully appreciate that no one else wants it in their backyard - we've got it in our backyard, over our aquifer, our biggest source of water. And as I said at the beginning, it's just like putting your outhouse over your spring and then drinking the water and then saying 'Aaa! What's the matter with me?'