A former professional engineer with 40 years of experience working on nuclear cleanup projects and a patent in high-temperature waste treatment is the next leader of the Hanford site.   

Ray Geimer, previously Navarro-ATL’s general manager of the site’s 222-S Laboratory, became manager of the Hanford Field Office for the U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 7, local Energy officials confirmed.    

Acting site manager, Brian Harkins, has transitioned to acting deputy manager.   

Geimer’s tenure begins at a crucial point in the cleanup process, with the vitrification plant reportedly on track to begin transforming the site’s tank waste into a stable glass form for long-term storage by the end of this year. He’ll also face the possibility of funding cuts and other pressures as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to provide less funding for cleanup in the next budget.   

“With a master’s degree in chemical engineering, decades of experience with DOE and expertise in a wide range of cleanup responsibilities, Geimer is well positioned to lead Hanford into the next chapter of cleanup success,” Energy said in a statement emailed to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.   

Geimer has worked for several DOE contractors on cleanup projects around the country, including New York, Idaho and Colorado. He first worked at the Hanford site for nine months beginning in 2006 as a senior advisor to CH2M’s chief engineer for the Hanford Tank Farm project, according to his LinkedIn profile.    

He left for other roles outside the region before returning in 2015 to serve as project manager for the 100K Reactor and Basin Closure project for Central Plateau Cleanup Company.    

Geimer has been at the 222-S Laboratory since April 2022, supervising more than 300 staff and managing an annual budget of more than $80 million. The lab tests waste and other material in support of the site’s cleanup and management missions.    

Susan Coleman, chairwoman of the Hanford Advisory Board, said she is optimistic about working with Geimer. She said she previously had interacted with him on a leadership panel related to the Hanford site.  

“I have not had much opportunity to work with him but what I have heard is positive,” she said.  

Geimer’s new role comes with significant responsibility, with management of billions of dollars in funding, supervision of federal contractors and subcontractors employing roughly 13,000 workers, and compliance with agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Ecology to mitigate the ongoing environmental risks posed by the site.