In a Lifecycle report released every three years, the Department of Energy said costs to fully complete the nation’s biggest and most expensive nuclear cleanup in Washington State will be between $364 billion and $589.4 billion.
The Hanford Lifecycle Scope, Schedule, and Cost Report, released April 15, also estimated that cleanup could not be complete until fiscal 2086, with long-term stewardship at the Hanford nuclear legacy site stretching until 2100.
The cost estimate is $72 billion above the 2022 estimate for the lower range of cleanup costs, but around $44 billion less than the estimate of the higher end in the last report. The estimate for active cleanup will take eight years longer than the 2022 estimate.
To date, $65 billion has been spent on the cleanup effort.
The report was signed by acting manager Brian Vance, whose resignation date looms on April 24.
Currently, DOE is collecting public input on the report until June 16. The input will be considered for the 2028 Lifecycle Report. Any input can be sent to [email protected].
