Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board to meet June 1-2 in Boardman

CONTACT:
Rachel Wray, 503-689-0294
Cliff Voliva, 503-378-3637

hanford-tank-farm.jpg

The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will meet June 1-2 at the Port of Morrow in Boardman, 2 Marine Drive. For the last 25 years, Hanford has been the site of the world’s largest environmental cleanup program, the result of wastes created during the production of plutonium for America’s nuclear weapons program. Cleanup will continue for at least the next several decades.

Among the items on the agenda, the Board will receive updates on Hanford site cleanup activities, the Low-Activity Waste pre-treatment system and the cleanup process at the Plutonium Finishing Plant.

The public will have an opportunity to comment to the Board each day. A full meeting agenda is on the Oregon Department of Energy’s website: http://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/safety/Pages/Oregon-Hanford-Cleanup-Board.aspx

To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired, or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact ODOE at least 72 hours before the meeting at 1-800-221-8035 or fax 503-373-7806. TTY users should call the Oregon Relay Service at 711.

The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board provides policy advice to Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Legislature on a wide range of issues regarding cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site in southeast Washington, just north of Oregon’s border. Part of the Board’s mission is to protect the Columbia River and Oregon from possible contamination.

The Board is composed of citizens, a representative of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, a representative of the Governor, state agency representatives and state legislators. ODOE serves as staff to the Board.

About the Oregon Department of Energy: The Oregon Department of Energy helps Oregonians improve the energy efficiency of their homes, provides policy expertise to prepare for Oregon’s future energy needs, staffs the Energy Facility Siting Council, provides technical and financial assistance to encourage investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, promotes the cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site, and ensures state preparedness to respond to emergencies at energy facilities.

About ODOE’s Nuclear Safety and Energy Emergency Preparedness Division: Division staff provide oversight of the environmental cleanup at the Hanford nuclear site – the largest such cleanup in the world. Staff is also responsible for emergency preparedness for a nuclear reactor accident; ensuring the safe transport of radioactive materials through Oregon; petroleum contingency planning; and emergency preparedness for operation of a liquefied natural gas export terminal. Staff also provide technical and administrative support to the Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board.