The Hanford Advisory Board is on the road again for the first time since before the pandemic – holding its next regional meeting in Yakima later this month.
The Hanford Advisory Board is a nonpartisan and broadly representative body with a balanced mix of the diverse interests affected by Hanford Site cleanup issues. Its next meeting will be 9 a.m. April 19 and 20 at the Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center, 607 East Yakima Avenue, in Yakima WA.
The Hanford Site produced more than 70 tons of plutonium from World War II through the Cold War. When plutonium production ceased in 1989, the site’s mission shifted to cleaning up the chemical and radioactive waste left behind.
The primary mission of the Board is to provide informed recommendations and advice to the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy), U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on selected major policy issues related to Hanford Site cleanup.
“The HAB has provided advice on a wide variety of Hanford cleanup issues to the Tri-Party Agencies since its inception 29 years ago. While our main mission is to advise the agencies, Board meetings are also a great opportunity for the public to learn about the progress and challenges associated with ongoing cleanup work,” said Susan Coleman, chair of the Hanford Advisory Board.
Energy is the federal agency responsible for Hanford and its cleanup. Ecology and the EPA are the regulators overseeing Energy’s cleanup under the Tri-Party Agreement, a judicial Consent Decree, and various permits.
Since 1994, the Hanford Advisory Board has passed 313 pieces of advice to the Tri-Party Agencies.
The public is invited to attend the Board’s April 19 and April 20 meeting, which will offer time for public comment at 11:30 a.m. on the first day and 10:30 a.m. on the second day.
During the meeting, Board members and the public will hear agency updates from Energy, Ecology, and the EPA, and learn about Hanford’s Tribal Affairs program.
Other Board business will include consideration of its Hanford Cleanup Priorities Advice and several Board operations improvements.
The public is welcome to attend the Hanford Advisory Board meeting in-person in Yakima, or online via Microsoft Teams. Meeting information and the agenda can be found on Energy’s website.