Agriculture Advocates Get Close-up Look at Hanford Cleanup

Washington River Protection Solutions President and Project Manager Wes Bryan, center, shows representatives from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington Tree Fruit Association where spent ion exchange columns are stored after processing waste through the Tank-Side Cesium Removal System at the Hanford Site.

RICHLAND, Wash. — Cleanup progress at the Hanford Site generates interest around the world. That’s why the Hanford Field Office and tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions recently hosted a site tour for representatives from Washington state’s agriculture industry.

Farmers and agriculture workers drive Washington’s economy by producing over 300 different crops and exporting them worldwide. From apples and carrots, to wheat, potatoes, raspberries and hops, foreign customers purchase more than $16 billion of Washington-grown agricultural products. Agriculture industry experts often field questions about whether food is impacted because some of that produce is grown near the Hanford Site.

“Our buyers in foreign countries are aware of the Hanford Site and watch it very closely,” said Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “When the PUREX tunnel collapsed seven years ago, we immediately started getting calls from the Korean government asking if our food is safe. It’s important for us to know and understand what control measures are in place and how cleanup is progressing so we can confidently communicate that to our customers.”

Hanford Field Office Manager Brian Vance, standing, far right, gives an overview of the cleanup mission to members of agriculture-related organizations at the beginning of a Hanford Site tour.

Sandison said he has had opportunities to explain how the site treats groundwater to prevent contamination from reaching the Columbia and Yakima rivers — important sources of irrigation water for the Columbia Basin — and how tank waste is being pretreated at the Tank-Side Cesium Removal System to prepare it for immobilization.

“We’re proud of the progress we are making with single-shell tank retrievals completed in the second tank farm, AX Farm, and continuing the progress in A Farm, as well as the recent completion of the Test Bed Initiative Demonstration Project,” said Ricky Bang, Hanford Field Office deputy assistant manager for Tank Waste Operations. “We appreciate productive partnerships with organizations and businesses, like those in the ag industry, that have a vested interest in the work we’re doing to protect the environment and are willing to share what they learn with their constituents.”

-Contributor: Jenna Roberts