Newsroom

Cleanup at Hanford will take several decades, but there are always rapidly developing stories, regular public events, and lots of information worth knowing.

Hanford Challenge tracks the news, makes some of its own, and has built up a library of fact sheets, reports, and primary source documents that will help you make sense of what happened, what is happening, and what’s next for Hanford.

This page is constantly updated to keep you informed of the latest news, press releases and calendar events.

The Latest News:

August

• Hanford workers close to answers about burial pits, Tri-City Herald, August 27, 2010
• Three Part Radio series covering Dr. Walt Tamosaitis & the Waste Treatment Plant on KBOO, August 24-26, 2010.  Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
• Former Hanford vit plant executive claims retaliation, Tri-City Herald, August 21, 2010
• Heart of America files suit over sending waste to Hanford, Tri-City Herald, August 10, 2010
• DOE Sends in Investigation Team on Vit Plant Whistleblower Issues, Tri-City Herald, August 6, 2010
• Whistleblower Charges Beyond Personnel Issue, Tri-City Herald Editorial, August 5, 2010

July

• Ex-vit plant official raises safety concerns, alleges retaliation at Hanford, Tri-City Herald, July 28, 2010
• Plans for Hanford rail cars gain steam, Tri-City Herald, July 20, 2010
• Plutonium Wastes from the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex, Summary & link to report on new estimate of US plutonium waste totals, by Robert Alvarez at the Institute for Policy Studies, July 2010
• Nuclear Next? Editorial about nuclear safety regulation, Seattle Times, July 12, 2010
• A New Analysis Triples Plutonium Waste Figures, New York Times, July 10, 2010
• Lawmakers gather support for Yucca Mountain, Tri-City Herald, July 7, 2010

June

• Panel: Yucca Mountain waste dump process continues, Las Vegas Sun, June 29, 2010
• Wash. senators urge fix to slow Hanford program, Tri-City Herald, June 27, 2010
• Possible deadlines at odds with repository, WIPP could close before shipments arrive, Tri-City Herald, June 23, 2010.
• Hanford meetings set in Seattle, Portland, Tri-City Herald, June 14, 2010
• Hanford field research center proposed, Tri-City Herald, June 7, 2010
• Some Hanford work ahead of schedule, DOE official says, Tri-City Herald, June 4, 2010
• New Beryllium Report Calls for Corrective Actions at Hanford, June 2, 2010 — Also see,
  • Hanford Officials Criticized for Lack of Focus on Beryllium, KPLU
  • Report: Hanford Beryllium Program Has Weaknesses, AP
  • Hanford:  Study Calls for Better Beryllium Disase Prevention, Tri-City Herald

May

• Adding Waste to Hanford will Hurt Cleanup Process, May 30, 2010, Tri-City Herald guest editorial by Tom Carpenter, Gerry Pollett and Brett VandenHeuvel
• Stimulus Workers Confront Legacy of Contamination at Nuclear Sites, May 3, 2010, Propublica Special Report – Awesome article on beryllium disease and Hanford.
• Hanford Challenge and NRDC Comments on Tank Closure and Waste Management EIS, May 3, 2010

April

• New Report Raises Design Safety Issues at Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, April 15, 2010
• Energy Park proposed for Hanford Site, Tri-City Herald, March 19, 2010, “small modular nuclear production has also been added to the mix”
• State of Oregon Calls for Offsite Waste Ban: Letter to DOE lays out rationale for ending offiste waste “folly” once and for all, March 23, 2010
• DOE may face new Central Plateau Cleanup Deadlines, April 1, 2010

March

• CH2M Joins Hanford Concerns Council, March 23, 2010
• The Government Accountability Office Releases Report on EEOICPA, March 2010
• CH2M Hill Joins Hanford Concerns Council, March 22, 2010
• Nine years in, sick nuclear workers still fighting for benefits, By Laura Millsaps, The Iowa Independent, 3/15/10

February

• Study finds imported waste would increase contamination in Hanford groundwater, Feb 16, 2010, Tri-City Herald
• DOE To Improve Beryllium Disease Protection at Hanford, Feb. 17, 2010, Tri-City Herald
• Hanford Tank Waste Being Pumped Again, Feb. 17, 2010, Tri-City Herald
• Study Finds Imported Waste Would Increase Contamination in Hanford Groundwater, Feb. 16, 2010, Tri-City Herald
• Hanford Challenge Issues Perspective on Newest Round of Vapor Exposures, Feb. 12, 2010
• Vapor Concerns Stop Tank Work, Feb. 6, 2010, Tri-City Herald
• Lung Disease Risk Too High at Hanford, Feb 5, 2010

January

• DOE Nuclear Waste Commission is “Seriously Imbalanced”, Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, January 29, 2010
• Secretary Chu Announces Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, Department of Energy, January 29, 2010
• Climate change, economy portend revival of U.S. nuke power, McClatchy Newspapers, January 24, 2010
• Crowd in Richland wants B Reactor named national park, Tri-City Herald, January 22, 2010
• More former Hanford workers eligible for money,Tri-City Herald, January 22, 2010
• More Hanford downwinder claims will go to trial, Tri-City Herald, January 21, 2010
• Vit plant mixing hazards raises worries, Tri-City Herald, January 19, 2010
• DOE looking for risky remains at Hanford, The News Tribune, January 14, 2010
• Stimulus job count changed to 1,423 by DOE, Tri-City Herald, January 13, 2010
• Hanford contractor begins retrieving waste from tank, Tri-City Herald, January 13, 2010
• A report and letter by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board regarding safety issues with pulse jet mixing technology used at the Waste Treatment Plant, January 6 , 2010
• A letter from the Oregon Department of Energy regarding the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement, Posted January 6, 2010