Let’s face it – the Tri-Cities is a car town, or set of car towns.The number of miles Tri-Citians travel daily owes its origins to the settlement of not one, but three cities, or four, counting West Richland, in an area that has some distance between the communities. There are...
Washington state has adopted a first-of-its-kind law that both provides a new long-term care benefit and pays for the new benefit with a new tax collected by employers.Its formal name is the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program.Many employers and employees are scrambling to understand the implications of this new...
An act of God. Or, among lawyers, a force majeure.Many contracts have force majeure clauses to govern what happens when faced with circumstances beyond anyone’s control. The global Covid-19 pandemic certainly falls into this category.How much did Covid-19 affect Hanford’s cleanup mission?Not much in the big picture.Some tank waste pumping...
The Hanford site team has consistently supported our nation during unprecedented times and this year has been no different.The innovation and determination of our workers, from the most experienced leaders to those just starting their careers, have ensured success throughout our site history during both the national security mission of...
What does having a new president in office mean for Hanford?Specifically, what does it mean to have President Joe Biden, a former vice president and longtime U.S. senator, in the Oval Office? What does it mean to have Jennifer Granholm, the former governor of Michigan, at the helm at the...
As the new manager for the state of Washington’s Nuclear Waste Program, I appreciate the opportunity to reach out and introduce myself to the Tri-City community.I’ve been on the job at Nuclear Waste for the past several months, but I’m not new to this area or its economy and concerns.I’m...
Progress is heating up at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.Also known as the vit plant, the project is taking a permanent step forward at the end of this year – heating up our first 300-ton low-activity waste melter.The melters are the heart of the vitrification process, which will turn...
Jan. 25 marked our official start of work as the new contractor for nuclear waste cleanup on the Hanford site’s Central Plateau and along the Columbia River.On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford cleanup mission, the Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) will continue the risk-reduction activities managed...
It’s the suddenness that bothers Phil Gallagher, senior vice president of Babcock Services Inc., a longtime Hanford subcontractor.No one had a chance to prepare for a major – albeit likely short term – change in how Hanford’s two biggest prime contractors handled many of their subcontractors.In January, the U.S. Department...
Last year was extremely challenging for everyone.HPMC Occupational Medical Services (OMS) continued health care support to Hanford workers as the site transitioned to reduced operations and teleworking early in the year and progressed through the first two phases of remobilization of workers to the site as the year continued.HPMC OMS’...
