09 Jan Washington Congressional Delegation Urges President-Elect Trump to Prioritize Hanford Cleanup, Worker Health, Tri-Cities Safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today (January 9, 2017), U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Adam Smith (WA-09), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Dave Reichert (WA-08), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Denny Heck (WA-10), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) wrote President-Elect Donald Trump to urge him to make the ongoing cleanup at the Hanford nuclear waste site a high priority.
The letter provided essential background information on the cleanup and remediation operations at the site and emphasized the importance of worker safety and protecting communities in the Tri-Cities region and beyond. The senators and representatives called for the incoming administration’s full support for and attention to the Hanford cleanup mission.
The delegation noted that fully supporting Hanford means maintaining strong and predictable funding for vital cleanup work already underway at Hanford. This “enables progress and ensures our top priority—worker safety—is achieved while these dangerous cleanup operations take place,” said the members. “It is essential that the safety of the more than 9,000 workers come first as they are doing a remarkable job and their efforts keep surrounding communities safe.”
After contributing to the country’s security through nuclear deterrence in World War II and the Cold War, the Tri-Cities region now faces the high costs of a decades-long nuclear waste cleanup program. There are still 54.6 million gallons of nuclear and radioactive waste stored in the Hanford facility, threatening the surrounding area and communities downstream along the Columbia River. Any lapses in funding for the site puts workers and communities at risk.
Download Congressional Letter to President Elect Donald Trump
Download Congressmen Dan Newhouse’s Letter to DOE Secretary Nominee Rick Perry