Cantwell, Colleagues Call On GAO To Review Unfinished Work At Hanford Nuclear Reservation

Press Release

Today, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), and House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) in a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called for a review of the nuclear waste cleanup and environmental remediation work at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the State of Washington, with a specific focus on work that must still be completed by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Richland Operations Office (RL).

The bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote, "We were alarmed by the recent tunnel collapse at the Hanford site, and are concerned that future events could put the safety of workers, the public, and environment at risk. This event was another harsh reminder of the radioactive and toxic hazards that remain at the Hanford site, as well as the importance of ensuring the site has the resources necessary to expeditiously achieve its cleanup mission."

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