Government Accountability

The Hanford Cleanup costs taxpayers around $2.6 Billion a year, and is estimated to take Until 2078, with monitoring forever. 

Hanford Challenge works with State and Federal elected officials and government agencies to promote accountability at Hanford. Hanford Challenge holds the government accountable for how this money is spent by:

  • Improving policy, including amending rules and regulations related to whistleblower protections, compensation for sick workers, worker safety and health protection, and environmental cleanup goals and methods.

  • Meeting with officials to advocate for better protections for workers, more timely and effective cleanup operations, better nuclear safety precautions, and addressing lapses in safety and environmental enforcement.

  • Mobilizing the public to weigh in on cleanup decisions and advocate for protective solutions.

  • Analyzing and summarizing reports to share with the media and the public.

  • Alerting the media to breaking news, press releases.

  • Litigation when necessary to protect whistleblowers, and to enforce environmental law provisions when hanford is out of compliance and fails to demonstrate its willingness to comply

Hanford Challenge is a leader on the Hanford Advisory Board where we help craft advice about Hanford cleanup that focuses on improving transparency, communication, and worker health and safety. We advocate for stringent contaminant removal levels, urge agencies to meet legal agreements in a timely and effective manner, and remind agencies that all decisions impact future generations, the Columbia River, and the Hanford Reach ecosystem.


If you work or have worked at Hanford and would like to share your experience:

please send an e-mail to info@hanfordchallenge.org.  We are interested in all kinds of stories: successes, dangers, missed opportunities – anything memorable and true.  We’re happy to maintain confidentiality.  We can’t wait to hear from you!