Washington Attorney General’s Office Marks Key Victory in decades-Long Hanford Cleanup Effort
OLYMPIA, WA – A landmark agreement requiring the Department of energy to accelerate the cleanup of highly radioactive waste at the Hanford Site has been upheld, marking a significant win for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and a crucial step toward protecting the Columbia River and surrounding communities.The ruling compels the federal government to adhere to a 2016 consent decree aimed at vitrifying – encasing in glass – the moast dangerous nuclear byproducts of decades of plutonium production.
For Washingtonians, the Hanford Site represents a complex and costly environmental legacy. Decades of nuclear weapons production left behind 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste stored in underground tanks, posing a persistent threat to the Columbia River, a vital resource for the Pacific Northwest. The 2016 consent decree established legally binding deadlines for treating this waste, and this recent enforcement action ensures those commitments will be met. While challenges arose with initial implementation, the Department of Energy will now proceed with the agreement as planned.
The Attorney General’s Office initiated legal action to enforce the consent decree after concerns emerged that the Department of Energy was attempting to delay full implementation. The office successfully argued for the importance of adhering to the agreed-upon timeline, ultimately securing a commitment to begin vitrification – the process of transforming the waste into a stable, glass form for safe, long-term disposal – by 2033.
“This is a monumental achievement for the people of Washington state,” said a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office. “For years,we’ve been fighting to ensure the federal government fulfills its obligation to clean up the mess left behind at Hanford. This ruling reinforces that commitment and protects our surroundings and public health.”
The vitrification process is expected to take decades to complete, requiring sustained federal investment and ongoing oversight. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to monitor progress and advocate for the resources necessary to fully address the Hanford cleanup, ensuring future generations are protected from the dangers of this legacy waste.
The Washington State Attorney General’s Office serves as the state’s largest law firm, providing legal depiction to state agencies and directly protecting washingtonians through consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental enforcement.
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