FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Simone Anter, Senior Attorney & Hanford Program Director, Columbia Riverkeeper simone@columbiariverkeeper.org, 541-399-5312
NEW LAWSUIT SEEKS PUBLIC RECORDS ABOUT POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT FORMER TOP-SECRET NUCLEAR SITE
Nonprofit asks court to force the U.S. Dept. of Energy to release public records about potential developments that could undermine cleanup at the most toxic place in America
June 16, 2025 (Portland, OR) — Today, Columbia Riverkeeper (“Riverkeeper”) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Dept. of Energy (“Energy”) for violating the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) by failing to produce documents related to Energy’s “Cleanup to Clean Energy Initiative” (“Initiative”) at the Hanford Nuclear Site. The Initiative proposes to lease 19,000 acres at Hanford for clean energy development, including the potential for new nuclear-energy infrastructure.
The 586‐square mile Hanford Site is a legacy of World War II and the Cold War. In 1943, the federal government selected Hanford as a top‐secret site for the Manhattan Project, which called for enriching plutonium for nuclear weapons. For decades, the federal government stored highly radioactive and toxic waste in 177 underground tanks or dumped the pollution directly into the ground. Now, Energy is responsible for one of the largest nuclear cleanup efforts in the world.
“The Trump administration has slashed funding for Hanford cleanup, threatening to undermine critical efforts to restore the land and waters at and around Hanford,” warns Simone Anter, senior attorney & Hanford program director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “This tumultuous moment requires staunch attention to cleanup and the people who depend on a clean Columbia River, the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, not new development that could potentially increase our nuclear-waste burden.”
Columbia Riverkeeper filed the initial FOIA request in June 2024, seeking all documents related to the Initiative at Hanford. Under the Biden administration, Energy’s FOIA officer sought to clarify the scope of the request. However, Energy never produced a single document nor did the agency set a date by which they would act on the nonprofit’s request. This inaction from Energy violates FOIA, which mandates that agencies have 20 days to determine whether they will comply.
“FOIA requires transparency from our federal agencies, and it codifies a national policy in favor of disclosure of government records,” said Jamie Saul, Executive Director of the Wild & Scenic Law Center, who is representing Columbia Riverkeeper in this case. “Energy’s unlawful delay in responding to Columbia Riverkeeper’s valid FOIA request undermines that policy and prevents the public from learning about important government decisions related to the Hanford Site.”
“When it comes to government transparency and the Hanford Nuclear Site, the stakes couldn’t be higher for people who rely on the Columbia,” said Anter. “The public should not be kept in the dark about potential plans to redevelop an area where the U.S. government’s legally-binding mission is cleanup.”
Columbia Riverkeeper’s case was filed in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, and Energy has 30 days to file a response. Columbia Riverkeeper is represented by outside counsel Jamie Saul, Executive Director of Wild & Scenic Law Center.