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A composited image shows the interior of a deteriorating underground tank at the Hanford Site storing radioactive waste. Image courtesy of the state Department of Ecology.
This week, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new long-term plans for the cleanup effort at the Hanford Site. Four years in the making, the plans maintain target dates of 2025 to begin treatment of lesser waste and 2033 for high-level radioactive waste at the site. They also establish that the current goal to empty all 149 higher-risk tanks by 2040 is untenable; the new plans set more realistic goals. In sum, the new plans strike a bargain among involved parties that puts the cleanup on a realistic but urgent timeline.
?We?ve negotiated a durable framework that aligns our agencies and accelerates work while maintaining a robust and safe cleanup. The communities we all serve deserve no less,? said Ecology Director Laura Watson. ?This agreement will get more tank waste retrieved, treated, and disposed of on schedule and gives us a roadmap for Hanford cleanup through 2040 and beyond.?
?The agreement lays out a schedule ensuring the cleanup of the dangerous waste in Hanford?s underground tanks is safe, effective and comprehensive ? and holds the federal government accountable to complete the job,? said Gov. Jay Inslee.
There are 56 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the Hanford Site. The tanks were meant to be temporary, but they?ve not been treated as such. They are now well beyond their intended service life, some have leaked, and the situation is a serious ecological threat to Washington state. The Hanford Site was a federal plutonium production site, and its current hazards are the federal government?s responsibility to remedy. For decades, progress has been slow. Of late, things are speeding up.
It?s the latest in a series of advances related to the cleanup. In 2022, the Biden Administration announced renewed commitment to the cleanup and an $18 million funding increase. This March, the Biden Administration proposed a budget with $72 million in additional enhancements. The federal government?s annual investment in the cleanup may approach $3.1 billion by fiscal year 2025, up from $2.7 billion in 2022. By contrast, the Trump administration had pushed for a spending cut of nearly $758 million during fiscal year 2021.
?Today?s agreement is an important step forward for the cleanup mission at Hanford and the workers who power that mission. After years of painstaking negotiations, I am pleased that Ecology, DOE, and EPA have finally reached agreement on a path forward for the treatment of tank waste at Hanford,? said Sen. Patty Murray.
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Visit wsac.wa.gov/apply to learn about the WA Grant and to begin the quick process to complete the FAFSA.
Back in 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law an expansion of Washington state?s student aid system to become the most flexible and generous in the country.
WA Grant isn?t just for college; it covers career training and apprenticeships, too. It?s not just for low-income families; about half of Washington families are eligible. It helps more people than federal student aid; students from undocumented families can benefit. It?s not just for tuition; the WA Grant stacks with scholarships to help cover books, housing, and other costs. It?s a life-changing program for its beneficiaries.
The first step is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Only 52.8% of seniors filed their FAFSAs last year and Washington families left a total of $65 million of aid unrealized. The federal government published a new, fast-and-easy FAFSA this year, but conspicuous delays and glitches have depressed FAFSA completion rates by nearly 40% nationwide.
Education leaders are urging families to be persistent and patient, and not let glitches in the federal system deter students from applying. Colleges and universities have adjusted their timelines to accommodate the delay in award notifications. Students with pending applications can contact their college or university to find out if they have updated information on the application status.
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The Climate Commitment Act is in full bloom this spring
Spring is in the air and Climate Commitment Act (CCA) projects are blooming like wildflowers. Republican Rep. Peter Abbarno toured a new methane capture project in Cowlitz County funded by the CCA, calling it "a win-win for affordable energy, the environment, and our local economy." The Seattle Times reported on a new program to teach kids to ride bikes, and The Urbanist reported on another imminent CCA program providing rebates for e-bike purchases.
The CCA also provides vital funding to help convert older diesel ferries to hybrid-electric powertrains and to build new electric ferries. On Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee traveled to San Juan County and met with Steve Nevey, the state?s new assistant secretary for the Washington State Ferries, to talk about electrification. ?Next month, we?re planning to go out to bid. We have 15 interested shipyards and we?re planning to get two boats in 2028 and three more by 2030,? said Nevey.?Electric ferries will not only be cleaner and greener than diesel vessels, WSF can put them in the water more quickly than if they built new diesel ferries instead.
WSDOT tests drones to cover graffiti
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) debuted a small experiment this week to cover hard-to-reach graffiti using drones. Mike Gauger, a WSDOT superintendent for the Tacoma area, got the idea by watching crews using drones to inspect the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. WSDOT equipped prototype drones with paint nozzles and tested the design over the fall. They?re now ready for field testing, and WSDOT crews will begin working with them in Tacoma and Olympia.
Light rail connects Bellevue to Redmond
An eager crowd of nearly 18,000 people gathered for the opening of Sound Transit?s Link 2 Line connecting Redmond to Bellevue last Saturday. The two cities will be just 14 minutes apart by train now, and an estimated 6,000 riders will make the trip daily. The project has been a long time coming ? the original concept and levy was first approved by voters 16 years ago.
Ten years after declaring a moratorium, Inslee honored for abolition of death penalty
An organization called Death Penalty Focus honored Gov. Jay Inslee Thursday for his role in discontinuing the death penalty in Washington state. Actress and activist Jane Fonda presented Inslee the Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award.
Ten years ago, Inslee declared a moratorium on Washington?s death penalty. The Washington State Supreme Court then ruled in 2018 that the death penalty was unconstitutional due to being imposed in an arbitrary and racially-biased manner. The Legislature formally struck the death penalty from state law last year, condemning the death penalty to history. Beyond abolishing the death penalty, Inslee has overseen sweeping correctional reforms including the reduction of solitary confinement and a focus on successful re-entry. The result has been a decisive advantage in Washington?s recidivism rate compared to the national average.
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Actress Jane Fonda presented Inslee with the Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award on behalf of the Death Penalty Focus organization on Thursday, May 2.
Washington students enjoy fresh and local food through USDA program
Yakima cherries and fresh salmon are on offer at Washington public schools thanks to a federal program connecting school districts to local farmers, fishers, ranchers, and producers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program has delivered fresh Washington foods to 850,000 students in 204 districts across the state this year.
Police officers remembered, honored
Gov. Jay Inslee attended the 2024 Peace Officer Memorial hosted by the Behind the Badge Foundation on Friday. The annual ceremony honors police officers killed in the line of duty and others distinguished by meritorious conduct. Nineteen officers were this year presented with the foundation?s Medal of Honor to recognize heroism in the line of duty. The foundation maintains the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial at the Washington State Capitol, inscribed with the names of all law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in state history.
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Gov. Jay Inslee presents Pasco Police Department officer Philip Hanks with a medal for meritorious conduct. Hanks and 18 other officers earned the award due to acts of courage in 2023.
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