ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on DOE Signing Paperwork to Allow Go-Live at Hanford Waste Treatment Plant After Trump Administration Threatened to Upend Cleanup Efforts
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement in response to news that Hanford’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) facility at the Waste Treatment Plant began to solidify Hanford tank waste into glass for the very first time.
The Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford has been in the works for decades and is the largest and most technically sophisticated radioactive waste treatment plant in the world.
“This is really a historic breakthrough. After decades of effort, we are officially turning nuclear waste into glass at Hanford. This is a monumental achievement that belongs to quite literally generations of Hanford workers. When it comes to Hanford, you can’t cut corners—and that’s part of why I’ve always fought to secure the federal resources needed to move this cleanup forward. I’ll always fight to support the Hanford cleanup and the workers who power this mission. The federal government has a moral and legal obligation to follow through on the Hanford cleanup—and I’ll never let any President forget it. This is just the start and we’ve still got a ways to go before we’re anywhere near done, but today’s success is worth celebrating—let’s make glass!”
On September 17th, the Department of Energy (DOE) finally signed the required paperwork ensuring radioactive tank waste could be introduced into the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) facility at the Waste Treatment Plant. The Project Management Risk Committee unanimously endorsed moving forward to project completion in July.
According to reporting and other sources, DOE leadership had been interested in axing the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project at the Hanford Site altogether, with DOE Secretary Chris Wright reportedly wanting to go in a “different direction” on the Hanford cleanup. Senator Murray spoke to Secretary Wright on September 10th, and on that call, Wright admitted that the Trump administration was actively stalling progress at the Waste Treatment Plant—claiming that moving forward was somehow a safety issue, although records did not corroborate his assertion. In response, Senator Murray released a statement emphasizing that Secretary Wright’s comments “were in stark contrast to the positive news we received today that safety reviews and technical tests at one melter at the Waste Treatment Plant have been completed—some of the final steps before the plant can begin turning nuclear waste into glass via completion of hot commissioning by October 15th.”
Later, DOE released a statement in response claiming they are “committed to beginning operations by October 15th” at the DFLAW facility. Senator Murray responded in part, “I need to see real evidence that this administration is moving forward on our decades-long effort to turn nuclear waste into glass at Hanford. I also need an explanation for the conflicting information I have gotten from the Department over the last 48 hours—and I need the Deputy Secretary to sign off on key documents so the completion of hot commissioning at the Waste Treatment Plant can move forward.” Senator Murray’s staff followed up with DOE on when they would sign the required paperwork to move forward—DOE finally signed the paperwork on September 17th.
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