RICHLAND, Wash. - Leaders from federal and state agencies overseeing the Hanford Site cleanup hosted a virtual public meeting on April 12 called Hanford Live.
They provided cleanup progress updates and answered questions from the public from around the region, country and world through a live streaming broadcast, which was also available via Facebook.
Doug Shoop, manager of EM’s Richland Operations Office and Ben Harp, deputy manager of the Office of River Protection, joined officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington State Department of Ecology, and the chair of the Hanford Advisory Board, for the first-of-a-kind meeting for Hanford.
“This gave us a chance to interact with a diverse group of people interested in Hanford cleanup, especially those who were able to engage with us from around the country and even the world," Shoop said. “The online interactive format opens the doors to a new audience."
Nearly 200 people registered for the event. During the broadcast, more than 100 tuned in via an online platform, and the event received nearly 1,000 views on Facebook. Hanford managers fielded dozens of questions on numerous cleanup issues during the two-hour meeting.
“We continue to look for ways to talk with the public about the importance of cleanup and are encouraged by the response we got to Hanford Live," Harp said.
People from Japan, the United Kingdom, and several states submitted questions for the meeting. The agencies have requested feedback on the event via survey.
A video of Hanford Live has been posted on the Hanford Site YouTube page. More information is available at Hanford.gov.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
