The Washington Department of Ecology, the state regulator for the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site, has selected David Bowen as its new nuclear waste Program manager.
Bowen, currently a water quality supervisor with the Ecology Department’s central region, replaces Alex Smith. Smith, who has held the nuclear post for more than five years, recently left to accept a post as deputy secretary with the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
The new manager has also worked in the private sector, local government, and as an elected official, the state agency said in a Facebook post Friday.
Bowen will start in his new position on Dec. 16, Ecology Director Laura Watson said in a Friday memo to staff.
The Ecology director said in the announcement that Bowen has a breadth of work experience that helped him “successfully resolve challenging environmental and policy issues throughout Central Washington and adjoining regions.”
“I know Hanford is challenging and complex,” Bowen said in a statement from Ecology. “I’m really looking forward to meeting all the stakeholders, tribal representatives, agency counterparts and community members who have worked at Hanford or on issues associated with it in order to gain a broad perspective going forward.”
