A discussion panel for the 2023 Waste Management Symposia provided Hanford Site leadership the opportunity to showcase how teamwork is contributing to cleanup mission progress.
Office of Environmental Management
March 7, 2023
minute read time
Participants on the 2023 Waste Management Symposia panel titled, “Cleanup to Clean Energy - The Hanford Site and Tri-Cities Community Transformation.” Pictured from left: Brian Vance, manager, Office of River Protection (ORP) and Richland Operations Office; Wes Bryan, president, Washington River Protection Solutions; Tom Fletcher, ORP assistant manager for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project; Bob Wilkinson, president, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions; John Eschenberg, president, Central Plateau Cleanup Company; David Reeploeg, executive director, Hanford Communities; and Jud Virden, associate laboratory director for energy and environment, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
PHOENIX – A discussion panel for the 2023 Waste Management Symposia provided Hanford Site leadership the opportunity to showcase how teamwork is contributing to cleanup mission progress.
EM Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office Manager Brian Vance led the discussion on site updates and project milestones as Hanford approaches the start of tank waste treatment.
Panelists focused on the cleanup mission and progress toward the start of the site’s direct-feed low-activity waste operations while using the successful One Hanford approach.
“The Department of Energy and One Hanford contractors work as a team to safely deliver cleanup progress that reduces risks to the workforce, the community and the Pacific Northwest,” said Vance.
In addition to a collaborative panel presentation, EM and Hanford Site contractors partnered to bring a One Hanford booth to the 2023 Waste Management Symposia, allowing visitors to use the Hanford Site virtual tour, view mission progress and connect with EM and contractor employees.
The One Hanford approach has created the communication, collaboration and teamwork necessary to support the next phase of the cleanup mission. The Hanford workforce is preparing for 24/7 operations as an integrated team, establishing an environment that sets the course of cleanup for decades to come.
Contractors presented progress updates on Hanford projects and the entire panel discussed the site’s positive effect on communities in and around the Tri-Cities area in southeastern Washington state, where Hanford is located. The panel then shifted its focus to how the One Hanford team is expanding its partnerships at local, state and federal levels.
“As we look to the future, the next chapter of our DOE and Tri-Cities partnership is built on continued cleanup excellence and clean energy development and commercialization,” said Vance.
The long-term collaboration created from the transition of cleanup to clean energy is likely to include a range of missions. The One Hanford team will need to attract the next generation of workforce while maintaining the same level of excellence within the Tri-Cities, a community known for its long history of delivering successful outcomes for the nation through teamwork and innovation.
“While the Hanford cleanup mission will continue for decades, the One Hanford approach will remain an important foundation for the continuing prosperity of the Tri-Cities,” said Vance.
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