The Hanford site, a 580-square-mile section of semi-arid desert in southeast Washington, was established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for national defense. Hanford produced nearly two-thirds of the plutonium used in the US nuclear weapons stockpile, including materials for the Trinity Test and atomic bombs used to help end World War II. Watch the video below to learn more about the Hanford site.
Hanford News
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It won’t be long before the Integrated Disposal Facility is ready for its critical role in the mission to treat tank waste through the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program at the Hanford Site.February 4, 2025
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The Hanford Field Office and tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions are working with a local business to create a full-scale mock-up for the next phase of liquid radioactive waste pretreatment.February 4, 2025
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About 40 students from local rural high schools visited the Hanford Site’s Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center to learn about the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management mission and career opportunities in STEM fields at the site.February 4, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management successfully completed the majority of its 2024 priorities, advancing critical cleanup work with the support of state, tribal and local partners.January 17, 2025
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The Hanford Site is a step closer to immobilizing radioactive liquid tank waste in glass for safe disposal.January 14, 2025
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Crews with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company are making progress cleaning up the “backyard” at the Central Waste Complex on the Hanford Site.January 14, 2025
Brian Vance is the manager of the DOE Hanford Field Office. In this capacity, Vance is responsible for an overall annual budget of nearly $3 billion, and oversight of the contractors and more than 13,000 employees involved in cleanup of the 580-square-mile Hanford site. In his role as manager, Vance is responsible for the safe and environmentally acceptable cleanup of the site, including groundwater remediation; hazardous waste and facilities decontamination and disposal operations; treatment and disposal of radioactive chemical liquid waste; and the design, construction and commissioning of the world’s largest complex of nuclear vitrification facilities, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.
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High-Level Budget Information
| Office | FY22 Enacted (in the millions) | FY23 Request (in the millions) | FY23 Enacted (in the millions) | FY23 Request (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY25 Requested (in the millions) |
| Office of River Protection | $1,645 | $1,604 | $1,730 | $1,975 | $1,890 | $2,001 |
| Richland Operations Office | $1,052 | $917 | $1,114 | $1,025 | $1,146 | $1,107 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.