END OF CLEANUP WITHIN REACH

HANFORD CLEANUP –

Proposed reductions in the House to DOE Environmental Management and to Hanford Cleanup funding in the last-half of this fiscal year does not make sense.  

There has been significant progress in cleaning up the River Corridor and removing the plutonium from the Central Plateau as a result of the ARRA funding.  With the ARRA funding going away by September, more than 2,000 staff reductions have already been announced by Hanford contractors.   But to compound those known reductions, a possible $300M Hanford budget reduction in the last half of the fiscal year would drastically impact DOE’s ability to meet TPA compliant milestones in FY2012 and FY2013, and would increase the numbers of staff that would have to be laid off.

TRIDEC President, Carl Adrian and I travelled to D.C. last week to bring the message of these potential budget impacts to our Congressional Delegation; speaking directly with Congressman Doc Hastings and Senator Maria Cantwell, and also talking with staff from Senator Murray, Congressmen Norm Dicks, Adam Smith and Rick Larson’s offices.  It is clear that our delegation is very supportive of stable funding for PNNL and Hanford. 

The outcome of the budget reduction battle between the House and Senate, is not all that clear.

For the first time, the end of major cleanup efforts along the Columbia River, and in the central plateau are becoming reality.   Our community can actually see that the end of cleanup of 90% of the Hanford site is within reach!   This will be a historic accomplishment, and DOE and the Hanford contractors and sub-contractors are to be commended.  They have been doing this work safely, economically, and in many cases ahead of TPA milestones.

This community is looking forward to the early startup of the Waste Treatment Plant, and to cleaning out the single-shell tanks.  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding helped bring this end in sight and accelerated overall Hanford cleanup by nearly several years.   Our community was certainly the beneficiary of these funds, and now we also could see the collateral damage if cleanup funding isn’t maintained to completion.

Cleanup of Hanford is not discretionary!  It is a Federal obligation, it is essential to the health and economic vitality of our communities and the nation, and it positions the Hanford site for future energy missions.

~Gary Petersen, V.P. Hanford Programs

Tri-City Development Council

(509) 735-1000

1-800-TRI-CITY (874-2489)