The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and a contractor, Central Plateau Company (CPCCo), have signed an agreement to safely advance the cleanup and risk reduction of the Hanford Nuclear plant's Central Plateau and Columbia River corridor in Washington State, according to a news release.
The projects will include “cocooning” of retired nuclear reactors, remediation of former waste sits and groundwater management, the news release said.
“The partnering team met in the early days of the contract to iron out the details, and this signed document solidifies our commitment to working hand in hand with the department," CPCCo President John Eschenberg said. "Together, we will continue to identify common goals, develop sound processes, plan meaningful work scope, manage risk and optimize resources for the common good.”
The collaboration began with DOE and CPCCo leadership holding joint workshops, Hanford Site Deputy Manager Brian Stickney said.
"We worked collaboratively to develop into a cohesive team focused on safely delivering significant risk reduction on the Central Plateau and along the Columbia River corridor," Stickney said. “Our collective team is committed to making integrated decisions, resolving issues, removing obstacles and partnering to implement innovative solutions to make that happen. Our goal isn’t the signing of this piece of paper; rather, this is the first in a multi-step process to continue delivering meaningful cleanup progress at Hanford.”
DOE's Office of Environmental Management tweeted, "The @HanfordSite and major contractor @CPCCHanford formalized their partnership and commitment to sound cleanup and risk reduction."
The Hanford Site "sits on 586-square-miles of shrub-steppe desert in southeastern Washington State," according to DOE. "Beginning in 1943, the site was used to produce plutonium for the bomb that brought an end to World War II. After a short lull, production was ramped up in 1947 to meet the challenges of the Cold War and continued until 1987 when the last reactor ceased operation."
Production of nuclear weapons "left solid and liquid wastes that posed a risk to the local environment including the Columbia River," DOE said. "In 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington State Department of Ecology entered into a legally binding accord, the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), to clean up the Hanford Site."
