The state Department of Ecology is seeking public comment on a draft renewal of the Hanford sitewide permit, which would cover 52 waste sites and facilities at the Hanford nuclear site.  

The permit is enforceable and is one of the agency’s primary tools for overseeing the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup of Hanford and establishes standards for the storage, treatment and disposal of mixed hazardous and radioactive waste.  

“This updated permit will ensure cleanup at Hanford progresses in a safe, efficient and environmentally protective manner,” said Stephanie Schleif, the agency’s nuclear waste program manager, in a statement. “Getting your input is vital in ensuring we produce a permit that reflects community values and priorities.” 

The current permit covers 22 waste sites and facilities. The proposed renewal expands that to 52 unit groups and incorporates more than 5,000 comments submitted by the public, tribal nations and permittees during a 2012 comment period. 

Ecology will accept comments through Oct. 27. They may be submitted online, by mail or hand delivery, or during public meetings.  

Regional public hearings in Washington and Oregon are planned for late September and early October, with dates and locations to be announced. 

Want to learn more? An informational meeting, offered in person and online, is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 15. A virtual Lunch & Learn series will run weekly from July 22 through Sept. 9.  

The Hanford site, which produced more than 67 tons of plutonium during World War II and the Cold War, remains one of the nation’s largest and most complex environmental cleanup projects. Ecology oversees the cleanup with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Tri-Party Agreement, a judicial consent decree and other permits. 

Go to: ecology.wa.gov/waste-toxics/nuclear-waste/public-involvement.