The Department of Energy is taking public comment between now and Nov. 10 on environmental remediation plans for the Hanford Site in Washington state over five years, between fiscal 2024 and 2028, according to a Tuesday news release.
A hybrid public meeting to gather more public feedback is slated for Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time at the Washington State University Tri-Cities Consolidated Information Center in Richland, Wash.
A link to a summary of the plan is available here. The plan includes making glass from radioactive tank waste via Direct-Feed-Low-Activity-Waste Facilities at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, as well as preparation of transuranic waste for shipment to DOE’s disposal site in New Mexico, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, DOE said.
The DOE Hanford Site’s 5-year-plan website, includes details on the comment period and a link for online participation in the Oct. 24 public meeting.
The Tri-Party Agreement between DOE, the state of Washington and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with a federal court consent decree between the feds and Washington state, provide the legal framework and schedule for long-term cleanup, DOE said. DOE also updates the Hanford Site 5-year plan annually to reflect current progress, according to DOE’s Office of Environmental Management.
Editor’s note: First graph modified at 3:35 p.m. Oct. 16 to correct the time span of the plan.
