As we enter our sixth year managing the 222-S Laboratory, we’re proud to celebrate the lab’s 75th anniversary in 2026.  

Navarro-ATL operates the 222-S Lab at the Hanford site. It’s one of the few labs in the nation able to analyze some of the most challenging radioactive tank waste. Under a contract that began in 2021, our nearly 400 employees provide essential, cost-effective analytical services that support Hanford’s cleanup. This year, we strengthened safety and expanded capacity, with a clear focus on reducing risk and improving decisions. 

Safety culture 

Safety is the foundation of our work, and I’m most proud of the culture our team has built – where everyone takes responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe. 

In August 2024, we launched Take 2 at 222, a simple practice that asks every team member to pause for two minutes, identify hazards and speak up before starting work.  

The impact has been measurable: fewer injuries, a significant reduction of restricted work cases since December 2024, and safety performance that exceeded U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals by fiscal year end.  

We keep safety front of mind through animated videos, comic strips, posters, badge cards, and weekly updates – reinforcing that safety is everyone’s responsibility, every day.  

Innovation and upgrades 

In 2025, we renovated two analytical rooms and upgraded or replaced nine major instruments, enabling the 222-S Laboratory to process approximately four times more samples than in 2024.  

Over the past year, the team completed 122 high-level radiation sample reports and conducted more than 11,400 analyses on highly radioactive materials, with faster turnaround times than in 2024. 

We introduced new methods that improve detection of organic compounds in liquid samples, increased our sensitivity to detect smaller amounts of Cobalt-60, and supported tank farm operations with evaporator “boil down” testing, as well as corrosion and gelling studies to help protect tank integrity. These upgrades aren’t just technical improvements – they deliver more capacity, better precision and greater confidence for decisions that reduce risk. 

Celebrating 75 years of excellence at the 222-S Laboratory, Navarro-ATL honors the people who shaped the journey from the past to the world-class laboratory operating today.

| Courtesy Navarro-ATL

One Hanford commitment 

Our role is to provide reliable, timely data that prioritizes reducing risks to workers, the public and the environment.  

By supporting Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste readiness and Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant operations with radiochemistry, organic, metals and physical property analyses, we help ensure safe feed qualification, proper recipe control and correct waste segregation – critical steps for turning low-activity waste into durable glass and advancing toward high-level waste treatment. 

While the 222-S Laboratory’s primary mission is tank waste analysis, our work supports broader cleanup goals. For groundwater and soil remediation, we run methods that quantify contaminants and verify plume reduction against regulatory milestones. For facility deactivation and demolition, we provide characterization that guides safe disposition pathways. 

The 222-S Laboratory serves as a proving ground for practical analytical innovation. New methods, tighter detection limits and upgraded instruments reduce uncertainty, increase throughput and lower the cost per result – leading to clearer decisions and fewer rework cycles in tank farms and remediation.  

With expanded capacity and faster turnaround, we help DOE and other Hanford site contractors plan campaigns, schedule maintenance and outages, and meet commitments – keeping fieldwork and lab analysis moving together, not in fits and starts. 

Looking ahead 

In 2026, we mark the 75th anniversary of the 222-S Laboratory. It’s a milestone that honors the scientists, technicians, engineers and support staff who built a culture of safety and excellence.  

Looking ahead, our commitment is straightforward: invest in technology and talent, deepen partnerships, expand capacity, and keep risk reduction front and center.  

Mark Hughey is general manager of Navarro-ATL.