Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
State of Washington, federal agencies agree on future of tank waste cleanup at Hanford Site
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced a significant agreement regarding the cleanup of radioactive and chemical waste at the Hanford Site. The proposed amendments to cleanup agreements will be open for a 60-day public comment period starting on May 30.
"We have alignment on a plan that lays out a realistic and achievable path forward for Hanford’s tank waste mission," said Brian Vance, Hanford’s DOE manager of the River Protection and Richland Operations offices. "Our One Hanford team is ready to get down to the business of more fully conducting the tank waste mission resulting in benefits for the environment, the people of Washington state and the nation."
The proposed modifications in the agreement include maintaining existing timeframes for starting treatment of both low-activity and high-level waste by immobilizing it in glass through vitrification. Additionally, there will be a focus on using a direct-feed approach for immobilizing high-level waste in glass, constructing a vault storage system, and designing new technologies for waste retrieval.
"We've negotiated a durable framework that aligns our agencies and accelerates work while maintaining a robust and safe cleanup," said Ecology Director Laura Watson. "The communities we all serve deserve no less. This agreement will get more tank waste retrieved, treated, and disposed of on schedule and gives us a roadmap for Hanford cleanup through 2040 and beyond."
"The disposal of tank waste is a critical component of the complex, site-wide cleanup efforts at Hanford," stated EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "This agreement builds on decades of work and collaboration between the Department of Energy, State of Washington, and the EPA, and will guide the tank waste mission as it enters a new phase of operation."
The Hanford Site, which once produced plutonium, currently houses approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste in 177 underground tanks. USDOE is responsible for the site and its cleanup, with Ecology and EPA overseeing the cleanup under the Tri-Party Agreement, a judicial consent decree, and various permits.
The proposed changes to the Tri-Party Agreement and consent decree will undergo a 60-day public comment period starting on May 30, during which the three agencies will hold regional public meetings in Washington and Oregon. Changes to milestones and deadlines will be finalized after the public comment period, response to comments, acceptance by the federal district court, and implementation by the agencies.
For those interested in participating in the public review process or seeking further background information on Hanford, additional resources are available on USDOE’s Hanford website and Ecology’s website.
For media inquiries, the following contacts are provided:
- Ryan Miller, Washington Department of Ecology, Ryan.Miller@ecy.wa.gov, 509-537-2228
- Geoffrey Tyree, U.S. Department of Energy, Geoffrey.Tyree@rl.doe.gov, 509-308-4287
- Beth Clemons, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Clemons.Beth@epa.gov, 206-553-1193
