Writing comments on the DNFSB Safety Culture letter at the July 2011 Hanford Challenge Ice Cream in the Park event. Photo courtesy of JJ Stein.
The most challenging of Hanford’s remediation decisions will be made and executed in the coming years. The process of assessing, recommending and implementing paths forward on decisions such as tank closure, deep vadose zone (deep soil between surface and groundwater) remediation, river corridor and groundwater cleanup will be inherited by younger generations. The challenge, as remediation progresses, and time passes, is how to pass along responsibility for and commitment to cleaning up Hanford to generations who have never heard of Hanford, have not lived through the Cold War, and do not remember Hanford’s production days.
Currently there are very few young adults (defined as under 40 for the purposes of this project) actively engaged in public discourse on Hanford. We are at a critical juncture where site managers, workers, concerned regional stakeholders and others are ageing and retiring. To ensure continuity over the next 75 years, it is critical that a younger demographic become engaged, stay engaged, and continue recruiting the next generation to be involved with the issues of Hanford’s remediation.
Hanford Challenge is launching Inheriting Hanford, a project focused on encouraging the participation of young people through a mentoring approach with involved regional stakeholders, agencies, and contractor personnel. Inheriting Hanford will develop inter-generational relationships to enable a transfer of wisdom and understanding from stakeholders with years of experience to those who will be inheriting the site’s challenges. We will be working with mentors and interested young people, facilitating information gathering and relationship building to prepare the heirs of this complex and nuanced nuclear site to become skilled and knowledgeable participants in decision-making at Hanford.
Events
On July 12, 2011 in Seattle’s Volunteer Park 77 folks showed up to eat ice cream, play games, learn about Hanford and write comments to protect the rights of Hanford employees to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. We generated 61 comments!
Survey Results
Thanks everyone who participated in interviews and filled out our survey on mentorship best practice. We compiled your answers into two documents:
Inheriting Hanford
Writing comments on the DNFSB Safety Culture letter at the July 2011 Hanford Challenge Ice Cream in the Park event. Photo courtesy of JJ Stein.
The most challenging of Hanford’s remediation decisions will be made and executed in the coming years. The process of assessing, recommending and implementing paths forward on decisions such as tank closure, deep vadose zone (deep soil between surface and groundwater) remediation, river corridor and groundwater cleanup will be inherited by younger generations. The challenge, as remediation progresses, and time passes, is how to pass along responsibility for and commitment to cleaning up Hanford to generations who have never heard of Hanford, have not lived through the Cold War, and do not remember Hanford’s production days.
Currently there are very few young adults (defined as under 40 for the purposes of this project) actively engaged in public discourse on Hanford. We are at a critical juncture where site managers, workers, concerned regional stakeholders and others are ageing and retiring. To ensure continuity over the next 75 years, it is critical that a younger demographic become engaged, stay engaged, and continue recruiting the next generation to be involved with the issues of Hanford’s remediation.
Hanford Challenge is launching Inheriting Hanford, a project focused on encouraging the participation of young people through a mentoring approach with involved regional stakeholders, agencies, and contractor personnel. Inheriting Hanford will develop inter-generational relationships to enable a transfer of wisdom and understanding from stakeholders with years of experience to those who will be inheriting the site’s challenges. We will be working with mentors and interested young people, facilitating information gathering and relationship building to prepare the heirs of this complex and nuanced nuclear site to become skilled and knowledgeable participants in decision-making at Hanford.
Events
On July 12, 2011 in Seattle’s Volunteer Park 77 folks showed up to eat ice cream, play games, learn about Hanford and write comments to protect the rights of Hanford employees to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. We generated 61 comments!
Survey Results
Thanks everyone who participated in interviews and filled out our survey on mentorship best practice. We compiled your answers into two documents:
Stay tuned for project developments!
Inheriting Hanford is made possible through the support of the New Mexico Community Foundation and Washington Foundation for the Environment.