About $65 billion has been spent on the cleanup effort to date. That funding has paid for thousands of workers to empty storage tanks, address contamination in the soil and water, and build facilities necessary to eventually treat, vitrify and store the waste at the site or transport it to other locations.

One Hanford contractor estimated that collectively, the Hanford prime contractors donate more than $1 million to nonprofits each year in both financial donations and volunteered time. 

No one knows what the rapid changes at the federal level mean for the Hanford site but the work is continuing.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the EEOICPA program, which is intended to compensate DOE employees who became ill after being exposed to harmful substances while working at certain sites, including Hanford. But it can be a challenging program to navigate.

Hanford’s new AI tool can condense emails and analyze and summarize complicated documents, saving Hanford’s human workers tons of time, according to Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS), which developed the system.

An economic development effort that has pumped tens of millions of dollars into the Tri-City economy for more than 30 years is changing how it does business due to a past legal dispute with a prospective recipient of one of its loans.

The Yakama Nation, including its government and members, will continue to seek restoration and management solutions that will serve in the best interests of the land, the community, and the knowledge held within the Hanford area.

Oregon remains committed to ensuring that Hanford cleanup moves forward swiftly and safely. But speed cannot come at the cost of transparency, public trust and environmental responsibility. 

Despite the significant challenges that remain, the treatment of Hanford’s tank waste and its solidification in glass finally seem within reach. The momentum is palpable, but so are the very real threats to this progress.

Since assuming responsibilities on Jan. 1, 2024, IHA has delivered a comprehensive range of medical services to the workforce of more than 9,000 people.