Hanford Site leadership participated in a National Cleanup Workshop panel discussion focused on current and future achievements at the site.
Office of Environmental Management
September 27, 2022
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Participants on a panel titled “Entering a New Era for Hanford and the Tri-Cities” at the National Cleanup Workshop. Pictured, from left: Bob Wilkinson, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions president; Valerie McCain, Bechtel National Inc. senior vice president; Brian Vance, manager of EM’s Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office; Steven Ashby, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory director; Wes Bryan, Washington River Protection Solutions president; and David Reeploeg, executive director of Hanford Communities.
Hanford Site leadership participated in a National Cleanup Workshop panel discussion focused on current and future achievements at the site.
EM Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office Manager Brian Vance guided contractor, community and laboratory leaders in speaking on important site transitions as Hanford approaches the start of tank waste treatment. The panel also discussed the site’s effect on communities in and around the Tri-Cities.
Panelists focused on the cleanup mission and progress toward the start of Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste operations while using the successful One Hanford approach.
“The Department of Energy (DOE) 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.
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.
Each site contractor that participated in the panel gave progress updates on projects at Hanford. 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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