Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board to Meet January 18

The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude after the public comment period that will take place at approximately 2:15 that afternoon. Public participation is welcomed and encouraged.

The meeting agenda includes:

  • Updates from the National Academies of Science on their recent work related to Hanford tank waste treatment.

  • Updates on the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site.

  • Information regarding the State and Tribal Government Working Group.

  • An update from Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. EPA’s Hanford Project Office.

  • An update from Maxwell Woods, ODOE Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness on what’s happened since the last OHCB meeting.

A full meeting agenda, including how to participate, and other meeting materials is available on our website.

The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board provides input to the USDOE and its regulators on the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site – one of the largest and most complex environmental challenges in the world. The Oregon Department of Energy and the board work together to keep important cleanup issues visible, hold the USDOE and its contractors accountable, ensure good public involvement and outreach, and reinforce that Oregon has a major stake in the safe and timely cleanup of Hanford.

More than 40 years of plutonium production for America's nuclear weapons program left hundreds of billions of gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste at the Hanford Nuclear site, which sits on the Columbia River just 35 miles from Oregon’s border. From Hanford, the Columbia flows through prime Oregon farmlands, fisheries, communities, and popular recreational spots. Due to the potential threat of radioactive and chemical contamination affecting Oregon's resources, economy, and public health, the board's primary role is to ensure cleanup decisions are protective of the river.

Learn more about Hanford and Oregon’s role.

To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact ODOE at least 72 hours before the meeting at 1-800-221-8035 or fax 503-373-7806. TTY users should call the Oregon Relay Service at 711.