News Archive

December 2011

• DOE plan commits to safety at vit plant, Tri-City Herald, December 30, 2011
• Senator McCaskill:  Are Taxpayers Reimbursing Federal Contractor Accused of Wrongdoing?, Press Release, December 21, 2011
• New concerns about Hanford nuclear waste plant, Seattle P-I, December 11, 2011
• After complaint, he landed in basement, Washington Post, December 8, 2011
• Senate Hearing on Federal Contractor Whistleblower Protections is Eye-Opening, Government Accountability Project, December 8, 2011
• Hanford whistleblower seeks stronger protection laws in Senate testimony, OPB, December 6, 2011
• Senator would expand whistleblower protections to contractors, Government Executive, December 6, 2011
• Senate Hearing: Whistleblower protections for government contractors, Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee, December 6, 2011
• Federal Nuclear Watchdog Says Hanford Safety Culture Still An Issue, OPB, December 5, 2011
• Soaring Hanford costs raise new clean-up questions, Crosscut, December 5, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Statement: Bechtel’s Report on Safety Culture at Hanford finds No Problem, Blames Safety Oversight for Causing Hostility, December 1, 2011.  Here’s a link to the Bechtel Report.

November

• Markey Queries Energy Department on Whistleblower Retaliation, Unsafe Operations at Hanford Nuclear Waste Plant, November 22, 2011, Letter to DOE from Rep Markey, Business Week article
• Lack of Nuclear Safety Culture to Blame for Vit Plant Costs and Delays, Hanford Challenge, November 21, 2011
• Some vit plant legal deadlines at risk, DOE reports, Tri-City Herald, November 22, 2011
• HANFORD: DOE says vit plant may miss new consent decree deadlines, Tri-City Herald, November 21, 2011
• DOE review raises concerns about Hanford plant, Seattle P-I, November 21, 2011
• $12B may not be enough to finish Hanford vit plant, The Columbian, November 21, 2011
• Summary of Donna Busche Complaint, Ms. Busche is the Manager of Environmental and Nuclear Safety for Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant, Hanford Challenge, November 17, 2011
• Washington’s Nuclear White Elephant? Letter from Tom Carpenter, Hanford Challenge Executive Director, November 16, 2011
• DOE solicits bids for occupational medicine services contract at Hanford, Tri-City Herald, November 16, 2011
• Report Calls for Changes in the Energy Department, New York Times, November 15, 2011
• Second Hanford vit plant official files claim, Tri-City Herald, November 13, 2011
• State Poised to cut money to Hanford public interest groups, Tri-City Herald, November 11, 2009
• Hanford Challenge Comments on the 2011 Hanford Lifecycle, Scope, Schedule and Cost Report.
• HANFORD: DOE and URS sued by whistleblower Tamosaitis in federal court, Tri-City Herald, November 9, 2011
• Hanford Whistle Blower Files Lawsuit Against Department of Energy in U.S. Federal Court, Seattle Weekly, November 9, 2011
• Oregon Department of Energy’s Comments on the 2011 Lifecycle, Scope, Schedule, and Cost Report
• Hanford Challenge’s Say What? Guide to Commenting on the Revised Hanford Public Involvement Plan.  Comments due Nov 28, 2011.
• Meeting set for Hanford public involvement plan, Tri-City Herald, November 7, 2011
• Interview with Marco Kaltofen about Airborne Radiation Spread after Fukushima, Mind Over Matters, November 5, 2011
• Hanford board: $115B may not be enough to finish, Seattle Times, November 6, 2011
• Former Hanford worker pleads guilty to conspiracy, Seattle Times, November 3, 2011
• Radiation Exposure to the Population in Japan after the Earthquake, Marco Kaltofen’s presentation to the American Public Health Association
• FFTF’s irradiated fuel treatment done, Tri-City Herald, November 2, 2011

October

• Say What? Guide to the 2011 Hanford Lifecycle, Scope, Schedule and Cost Report. Comments due November 10, 2011.
• Hanford’s Nuclear Option, Seattle Weekly, October 19, 2011
• Hanford safety issues dog new plant, Crosscut, October 19, 2011
• Safety issues at Hanford Nuclear Reservation at pretreatment plant remain in question, Oregonian, October 9, 2011
• HANFORD: Maintenance of radioactive capsules criticized by defense board, Tri-Cities Herald, October 13, 2011
• Cleaning Hanford’s Groundwater A Huge Challenge, OPB, October 12, 2011
• Feds make first decision about central Hanford contaminated soil, Tri-City Herald, October 8, 2011
• Hanford tank farms lay off 244 workers, Tri-City Herald, October 4, 2011
• Nuclear relic, Oregon Public Radio, October 2, 2011

September

• Can DOE health team put vit plant on right track?, Tri-City Herald, September 28, 2011
• Senate Passes Resolution Honoring Sick Nuclear Workers with a National Day of Remembrance, Canada Views, September 27, 2011
• Meet the new boss, Letter to the Editor from Hanford Challenge Executive Director, September 25, 2011
• Government Accountability Office to review vit plant management, Tri-City Herald, September 21, 2011
• Safety Board warns of lethal risk of ammonia risk at vit plant, Tri-City Herald, September 20, 2011
• DOE TO HOLD FOLLOW-UP AT VIT PLANT, TRI-CITY HERALD, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2011

• DOE LETTER AND FINDINGS PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT, JULY 7, 2011 – DOCUMENTING SYSTEMATIC BREAKDOWN IN RADIATION SAFETY AT HANFORD’S PFP.

• Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s letter to Assistant Secretary of Energy Huizenga on the Waste Treatment Plant Ammonia Control System.  September 13, 2011
• Hanford regulators will postpone some cleanup deadlines, Tri-City Herald, September 9, 2011
• Hanford whistleblower plans to move case to federal court, Tri-City Herald, September 9, 2011
• Senate’s proposed DOE budget adds to tank farm money, Tri-City Herald, September 8, 2011
• Temporary storage proposed for vit plant waste, Tri-City Herald, September 8, 2011
• Oregon DOE Supplemental Comments on PW-1,3,6 and CW-5, Mobility of Plutonium, September 6, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Comments on PW-1,3,6 and CW-5, September 6, 2011
• Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant Gets Large Scale Testing, KUOW, September 5, 2011
• Highly radioactive material moved from Hanford to PNNL, Tri-City Herald, September 2, 2011

August

• Vit plant budget reviewed: DOE document says $12.2B target may be hard to meet, Tri-City Herald, August 30, 2011
• B Reactor moves toward being a museum, Tri-City Herald, August 30, 2011
• DOE prepared to take steps toward Hanford land transfer, Tri-City Herald, August 26, 2011
• The Fukushima Project’s Hanford to Fukushima: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, August 2011
• Independent review of vit plant safety culture under way, Tri-City Herald, August 23, 2011
• Compensating ill nuclear workers topic of meetings, Tri-City Herald, August 21, 2011
• 1,100 Hanford layoffs planned, Tri-City Herald, August 19, 2011
• Project leaking money, Spokesman Review, August 21, 2011
• Hanford Union Raises Concerns With Waste Treatment Plant, KUOW, August 16, 2011
• DOE told to take second look at vit plant safety culture, Tri-City Herald, August 16, 2011; Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s most recent letter to Secretary Chu on safety culture at the Waste Treatment Plant
• Hanford Radioactive-Waste Cleanup Scandal: Contractor “Underplayed Safety Risks”, Seattle Times, August 15, 2011
• Vit plant mixing system raises safety concerns, Tri-City Herald, August 14, 2011
• Safety Doubts raised at U.S. Nuclear Waste Site, Los Angeles Times, August 13, 2011
• Press Release:  Suppression of Safety Concerns Intensifies at Hanford, August 13, 2011
• Plume leads to Hanford tank farm evacuation, Tri-City Herald, August 10, 2011
• DOE picks office manager for Richland, Tri-City Herald, August 10, 2011
• Nagasaki bomb dropped 66 years ago today, Tri-City Herald, August 9, 2011
• Vit plant installs 19-ton piping module, Tri-City Herald, August 5, 2011
• Workers digging up some of Hanford’s worse waste, Seattle Times, August 4, 2011
• Hanford vit project 60 percent complete, Tri-City Herald, August 3, 2011
• 850 HAMTC jobs included as part of Hanford layoffs, Tri-City Herald, August 2, 2011
• Blue Ribbon Commission’s draft report causes concern among people with Hanford interests, Tri-City Herald, August 1, 2011

July

• Whistleblowers at Hanford, Oregon Public Radio, July 28, 2011
• More Hanford Workers Raise Safety Concerns, Northwest Public Radio, July 28, 2011
• Independent Panel, Manager’s Firing Raise Question about safety culture at nuclear site, New York Times, July 22, 2011
• Nuclear Watchdog defends Hanford whistleblower, Rebukes DOE, National Resources News Service, July 20, 2011
• Oregon DOE Comments for PW-1,3,6 and CW-5, July 19, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Say What? Guide to writing comments on PW-1,3,6 and CW-5
• Editorial: DOE has more work ahead to resolve vit plant query, Tri-City Herald, July 17, 2011
• Judge keeps URS in vit plant lawsuit, Tri-City Herald, July 15, 2011
• New investigation planned for Hanford safety culture, Northwest National Public Radio, July 12, 2011
• Energy official focuses on nuclear safety at Hanford, Tri-City Herald, July 12, 2011
• July 12, 2011 Ice Cream in the Park
• Delay proposed to treat Hanford tank waste, Tri-City Herald, July 10, 2011
• Ines Triay leaving DOE cleanup post, Tri-City Herald, July 9, 2011
• Safety Board says Hanford has “atmosphere adverse to safety“, EHS News, July 7, 2011
• Nuclear cleanup:  Whistle-blowing engineer is backed up by watchdog agency, Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2011
• Tamosaitis talks about life after Hanford whistleblowing, NPR, July 4, 2011
• DOE Agrees to Recommendations but questions findings, Tri-City Herald, July 1, 2011
• Upcoming Public Meetings on Plutonium and Cesium Contamination on Hanford’s Central Plateau!

June

• Follow the Document Trail: DOE letter requesting to review the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s confidential investigation records; The Defense Board’s letter in response denying access to communications from concerned employees and the public.  Here is the original Defense Board report.
• Editorial: DOE must make safety paramount at Hanford, Spokesman-Review, June 24, 2011
• Department of Energy Forgoing Safety for Time and Money, The Washington Examiner, June 21, 2011
• Take Action for a Safer Hanford: Comment on Safety Culture at the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, Hanford Challenge, June 20, 2011
• Fluor to pay $4M to settle P-card fraud, kickback allegations, Tri-City Herald, June 18, 2011
• Defense safety board blasts DOE, Bechtel, Tri-City Herald, June 14, 2011
• Bosses imperil cleanup at Hanford, agency says, Seattle Times, June 13, 2011
• Film on Hanford wins NW Emmy, Tri-City Herald, June 14, 2011
• Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, letter from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, June 9, 2011.
• Cuts proposed for 2012 Hanford cleanup budget, Tri-City Herald, June 2, 2011
• House bill gives boost to Hanford field office, Tri-City Herald, June 1, 201

May

• Cancer survivor seeks help for ill Hanford workers, Tri-City Herald, May 26, 2011
• Hanford downwinder dies of thyroid cancer, Tri-City Herald, May 25, 2011
• Did You Know? Health sacrifices were made by PNNL and Hanford workers, KNDO/KNDU, May 24, 2011
• Oregon Senator Speaks Out Against Potential Hanford Plan, KEPRTV, May 20, 2011
• Hanford avoids most budget cuts, Tri-City Herald, May 20, 2011
• Research shakes up seismic knowledge near Northwest nuclear plant, King 5, May 19, 2011
• Sen. Murray questions DOE spending priorities, Tri-City Herald, May 19, 2011
• Radioactive waste focus of Hanford meeting, Tri-City Herald, May 19, 2011
• Hanford’s got enough problems without more radioactive waste, The Oregonian, May 18, 2011
• Wash., Ore. oppose hauling more waste to Hanford, Tri-City Herald, May 18, 2011
• Hanford tank nearly emptied of all waste, Tri-City Herald, May 17, 2011
• Washington leadership pushes for stable 2012 Hanford budget, Tri-City Herald, May 17, 2011
• Federal Blue Ribbon Commission: DOE Shouldn’t Determine Home For Nation’s Nuclear Waste, OPB, May 16, 2011
• Northwest could store nation’s nuclear waste, King 5, May 13, 2011
• Hanford’s fiscal 2012 fund proposal released, Tri-City Herald, May 12, 2011
• DOE Presentation to the HAB RAP Committee on the Proposed Plan for PW-1,3,6 and CW-5, May 11, 2011
• Hanford’s Old Pipes Vs. An Old City’s Sewer System, OPB, May 9, 2011
• Nuclear Watchdog Says Hanford’s Tank Farm Piping ‘Not As Safe As It Could Be’, KUOW, May 5, 2011
• Group questions costs of storing nuclear waste, Tri-City Herald, May 4, 2011
• Federal Nuclear Board Criticizes Hanford’s Piping System, OPB, May 3, 2011; Related Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Letter

April

• Questions Remain About Piping Hanford’s Nuclear Waste, KUOW, April 27, 2011
• Vit plant whistleblower case set for trial May 2012, Tri-City Herald, April 23, 2011
• DOE Video to tell story of Hanford, Tri-City Herald, April 21, 2011
• $80M cut in DOE cleanup spending proposed, Tri-City Herald, April 13, 2011
• Dangers lurk at America’s worst nuclear site, Agence France-Presse, March 24, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Director in the news: Interview: The trouble with nuclear power, Real Change
• Vit plant safety attitude concerns national panel, Tri-City Herald, April 7, 2011
• DOE names Samuelson as new Hanford manager, Tri-City Herald, April 7, 2011
• Board calls for improvement at Hanford tank farms, Tri-City Herald, April 6, 2011
• Response to comments made on Tom Carpenter’s Op Ed in the Seattle Times by Energy Northwest CEO – response written by Rober Alvarez, Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, April 4, 2011

March

• Hanford contractor faces lawsuit over waste spill, Tri-City Herald, March 30, 2011
• Japan Nuclear Plant Crisis & Chernobyl Anniversary, C-Span, March 25, 2011
• What is the state of the Hanford Nuclear Waste Site?  Come find out!  Meetings in Seattle on Tuesday, March 29th and in Portland on Thursday, March 31st.
• Hanford Challenge Director in the news: Lessons for Washington in Japan’s nuclear crisis, Seattle Times editorial, March 23, 2011
• Nuclear waste, and worries, fester at US site, AFP, Now found on SpaceDaily March 23, 2011
• Emails raise questions about DOE’s role in firing of official, March 22, 2011
• New Evidence Shows DOE Role in Tamosaitis Removal, Sheridan Law Firm Release, March 21, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Executive Director in the news: Concerns raised over Washington state reactor, CBC, March 17, 2011 & Activist warns of nearby nuke risk,  Vancouver 24 Hours, March 17, 2011
• Hanford officials say work will need to focus on innovation, Tri-City Herald, March 17, 2011
• Hanford needs $2.9 billion in 2013 for cleanup, Seattle Times, March 17, 2011
• Struggling to Cope With the Crisis in Japan, New York Times, March 16, 2011 (LTE from Nancy Dickeman, Richland native)
• Japanese Nuclear Crisis, Hanford & Washington State, letter from Tom Carpenter, March 14, 2011
• DOE should alter its view of safety board’s oversight, Tri-City Herald, March 9, 2011
• Board probes alleged DOE witness tampering, Tri-City Herald, March 8, 2011
• Use of steam for Hanford cleanup creates concern, Tri-City Herald, March 2, 2011

February

• Hanford landfill cells ready for busy year, Tri-City Herald, February 24, 2011
• Federal Audit Says Hanford’s K-Basins Cleanup Mishandled, NPR, February 22, 2011.  Here’s a link to the audit (it is short & pithy.)
• DOE developing policies for reuse of Hanford land, Tri-City Herald, February 22, 2011
• Draft study includes no recommendation for radioactive waste disposal, Tri-City Herald, February 19th, 2011
• Huge decon tank arrives at vit plant, Tri-City Herald, February 18, 2011
• Empathetic health contractor sought for Hanford, Tri-City Hearld, February 16 2011
• Obama proposes Hanford budget increase, Tri-City Herald, February 15, 2011
• Washington Closure begins to plan end of Hanford operations, Tri-City Herald, February 6, 2011
• Energy Northwest considering mixed plutonium fuel at nuclear plant near Richland, February 4, 2011
• Testing toxic cleanups, one gator at a time, USA Today, February 2, 2011

January

• A New Generation Begins Taking The Reins At Hanford, KUOW, January 31, 2011
• No proof Hanford mixers will work, Seattle Times, January 23, 2011
• Big cleanup questions still loom at Hanford, Seattle Times, January 22, 2011
• ARTICLE: Hot Milk:  The Discovery of the Milk-Iodine Pathway, by Jim Thomas (2011).  In this article, Jim Thomas discusses the effects of radioactive iodine from Hanford’s releases on children — downwind of Hanford – in the years of Hanford’s operations.  Critical to the debate is when Hanford scientists and managers knew of the health impacts of humans consuming contaminated milk.  Jim Thomas convincingly demonstrates that Hanford managers were well aware of the pathway even before Hanford began operations, and not, according to the “official version”, in the mid-1950′s.  Thanks to Jim for contributing this article to Hanford Challenge readers.
• Renewable energy company eyes Hanford land, Tri-City Herald, January 14, 2011
• Hanford Challenge Submits Comments on Waste Treatment Plant, January 6, 2011
• Knolls Leaks Cost $1.8M, Times Union, January 7, 2011

December 2010

• Hanford officials claim waste cleanup victory, Tri-City Herald, December 21, 2010
• Press Release, Vit Plant Whistleblower Names DOE, Bechtel in Labor Complaint, December 15, 2010
  • Read OSHA Complaint
• Study of Baby Teeth Sees Radiation Effects, The New York Times, December 13, 2010
• Hanford cleanup of ALE finished, Tri-City Herald, December 14, 2010
• Toxic Soil Shows Rigors of Nuclear Cleanup, Wall Street Journal, December 10, 2010
• Ex-Hanford worker gets 20 months in prison, Tri-City Herlad, December 10, 2010

November

• Highly contaminated soil found at Hanford, Tri-City Herald, November 18, 2010
• Hanford workers seek radioactive mouse, Tri-City Herald, November 18, 2010
• Audit raises concerns about Hanford cleanup, Washington Post, November 15, 2010
• Hanford ‘big dig’ under way, Tri-City Herald, November 9, 2010

The Hanford Radioactive Rabbit saga continues – once contamination gets into the environment, it can spread through many different pathways, in this case, bunnies.

• Radioactive rabbit trapped near Richland, Tri-City Herald, November 5, 2010
• WRPS Problem Evaluation Request from 2009 documenting rabbit droppings found near S-112 Control Trailer
• WRPS Problem Evaluation Request from 2008 stating that rabbit feces in the S Complex indicate a “serious contamination source.”
• WRPS Problem Evaluation Request from 2008 finding rabbit feces outside of the controlled areas.

October

• Chemical Vapor Program Improvements Recommended by Independent Panel, Tri-City Herald, October 28, 2010
• Hanford Challenge & Washington River Protection Solutions issue a joint statement on the independent review of WRPS’ chemical vapors industrial hygiene strategy.  Hanford Concerns Council, October 27, 2010
• Judge signs Hanford consent degree, Tri-City Herald, October 27, 2010

• Hanford probes contents of burial grounds, Tri-City Herald, October 24, 2010
• System helps workers understand hazards of job, Tri-City Herald, October 20, 2010
• Hanford’s Vit Plant Moves Forward Amid Debate Over Design And Safety Culture, KUOW, October 19, 2010
• Hanford: The good, the bad and the unremediated, The Daily News Online, October 19, 2010
• Court asked to OK new Hanford cleanup schedule, The Washington Post, now found on Mother Nature Network, October 6, 2010
• Report favors tearing down K East reactor, Tri City Herald, October 19, 2010
• Veteran Hanford Engineer Says DOE’s Multi-Billion Dollar Hanford Nuclear Waste Processing Plant Might Not Work Properly and Has Serious Potential Safety Problems, DC Bureau, October 12, 2010
• Hanford faces technical woe, The Dalles Chronicle, October 10, 2010
• Safety board says Hanford vit plant solutions cannot wait, Tri-City Herald, October 8, 2010
• DOE: Safety culture needs improvement, Seattle Times, October 7, 2010
• Agreement on new commitments for Hanford tank waste cleanup sent to federal judge, Washington Department of Ecology, October 6, 2010
• Hearing on Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, Hanford Challenge Announcement and Analysis, October 3, 2010
• Hearings Planned on Waste Treatment Plant, Tri-City Herald, October 3, 2010
• Hanford Challenge Comments on the Environmental Management Advisory Board, October 3, 2010
• National Panel Says Vit Plant on Track, Tri-City Herald, October 2, 2010

September, 2010

Bechtel Fined Over Quality Issues at WTP, Tri-City Herald, 09/25/2010

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, now found at Seattle Times, 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, now found at Seattle Times
  • Hanford:  Study Calls for Better Beryllium Disase Prevention, Tri-City Herald, now found at The Olympian

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

December

• DOE scraps cheaper waste treatment plan, The News Tribune, December 20, 2009
• Hanford workers new cancer package OK’d, Tri-City Herald, December 17, 2009
• Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Radioactive Longer Than Expected, Wired, December 15, 2009

November

• Tank Farm Closure & Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement, Department of Energy Office of River Protection, Posted November 24, 2009
• Trial over Hanford union infighting under way, Tri-City Herald Hanford News, November 22, 2009
• Hanford Challenge of Seattle plans summit today, Tri-City Herald Hanford News, November 19, 2009.  For more information on the Hanford Summit, see How Hanford Works.
• Experts Question Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant, KPLU, November 16, 2009
• State’s Stimulus Take Hefty; Hanford cleanup brings in bulk of federal funding, The Spokesman Review, November 2, 2009

October

• Even Rabbit Droppings Count in Nuclear Cleanup, The New York Times, October 15, 2009
• Hanford Waste Import Moratorium Questioned, Tri-City Herald, October 30, 2009
• EPA’s Secret Plan to Raise Public Radiation Exposure Levels Challenged, October 29, 2009
• Moratorium on Shipping Radioactive Waste to Hanford Broadened, Tri-City Herald, October 28, 2009
• Comment Period for Rulemaking Petition to Protect Nuclear Whistleblowers – Dec 15 Deadline, Posted October 16, 2009
• GAO Report:  $100 Billion Price Tag Possible for Tank Waste Cleanup, Calls for Leaving Some Wastes Behind -  See story in Tri-City Herald, and here is the link to the GAO report.

September

• Hanford Construction Workers Were at Risk of Certain Cancers, Tri-City Herald, September 2, 2009
• Marco Kaltofen’s Thesis Published: Microanalysis of Heterogeneous Radiation in Particulate Matter as an Aid to Nuclear Source Identification, August 2009. This thesis was published after a Hanford dust study conducted by Kaltofen using scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray to study individual particles.  Kaltofen identified hot particles within small sample sets, which pose a different environmental risk than uniform low-level radioactivity.

August

• Hanford Challenge Seeks Rule to Improve Nuclear Safety Culture, August 25, 2009
  • Rulemaking Petition
• State of Washington, DOE Announce Settlement Agreement, August 11, 2009
  • Hanford Challenge Comment on settlement, August 12, 2009
  • Summary of Settlement Terms
  • Proposed Consent Decree, August 11, 2009
• Hanford Cleanup Chief Has Nagasaki Roots, August 10, 2009, Japan Times

July

• Plan to Pay Sick Nuclear Workers Unfairly Rejects Many, Doctor Says, ProPublica, July 31, 2009

June

• Group Applauds Safety Reforms at Hanford:  DOE Making Significant Positive Improvement in Chemical Vapor Protection for Workers – June 25, 2009 (Link to DOE Presentation)
• DOE picks new firm to administer worker comp program, June 16, 2009
• Wash. Nuclear Site Stung by Radioactive Wasps, June 11, 2009 Associated Press

April

• Hanford hiring could begin this week, April 1, 2009 Tri-City Herald

March

• Nearly $2 billion for Hanford Cleanup, March 31, 2009 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  
• Feds propose big cuts in restricted area at Hanford, March 29, 2009 Seattle Post-Intelligencer