Hanford

The Hanford site serves as a key piece of the Tri-City economy.  Our special coverage takes a closer look at Hanford’s workforce, cleanup efforts and costs, and the status of key projects, including the massive vitrification plant currently under construction at the 586-square-mile site in our backyard.

The Tri-Party Agreement was designed with a bias towards preserving the Columbia River from contamination, which led to the installation of several groundwater treatment facilities that treat contaminated water before it reaches the river basin on the Hanford site.

DOE looks to way to replace outgoing workers

Hanford’s workforce is made up of more professional support staff than engineers, scientists or technicians. More than 9,000 people are directly employed with efforts at...
The basin of the East Reactor, shown here, was demolished a decade ago, but it remains in surveillance mode for now, awaiting final cocooning, or stabilizing. (Photos courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

Hanford site cleanup story unfolding

By Arielle Dreher There’s no question plenty of contamination remains at the Hanford site. But let’s pause a moment to reflect on how much has...