To ensure the complete and timely cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site, we review and critique cleanup and restoration plans.
We write comment letters detailing our analyses, publish articles and blog posts, and prepare fact sheets to help others understand the plans and how to protect the Columbia River. By clicking the links below, you can view and download our work.

Since time immemorial this area along the Columbia River was inhabited by Indigenous People


ERWM STEM Coordinator Samantha Redheart reflects on the intersection of educational sovereignty and fostering the next generation of Hanford cleanup advocates

Want to hear all the stories from Columbia Riverkeeper's Currents Issue 1, 2023 Newsletter?


Sustaining Gifts Director Dianne Riley reflects on her personal history with activism.

Columbia Riverkeeper’s interactive story map, “Water’s Walk Through Hanford,” breaks down some of the most dangerous pollutants and cleanup areas at Hanford, bringing the cleanup to life.
"Read All About it: Hanford"
"Hanford: Read All About It: Bonus Interviews"
Hanford The Paradox
Hanford The Hidden Beauty
Hanford Invisible Life
Hanford—A Future Worth Fighting For:
"Why Scientists Fear a Chernobyl-like Catastrophe at Hanford Webinar" Love your Columbia Webinar
Watch this video "Hanford: A Race Against Time":
Get inspired: Moving footage of the Hanford Reach
KOIN News public service announcements featuring Columbia Riverkeeper:
Over 150 people gathered along the Columbia’s scenic Hanford Reach for The Hanford Journey, a day-long event to celebrate the late Dr. Russell Jim and demand a thorough cleanup of the Nuclear Site.
Reports:
- Currents, Columbia Riverkeeper Hanford themed newsletter (Issue 1, 2023), PDF, Interactive, Audio
- Energy’s Groundwater Monitoring Report (2019)
- Energy’s Report and Recommendation on Aging Infrastructure (2019)
- Competing Visions for the Future of Hanford (2018) examines how competing visions for Hanford’s future—from the perspectives of tribal nations, the federal government, and the states of Oregon and Washington—will determine Hanford’s nuclear legacy.
- Hanford & the River (2013) describes the history of nuclear waste production and the impact on the Columbia River. The report discusses the pollution problems, current cleanup actions, plans to import more radioactive waste, and ways that you can help promote a safe Columbia River.
- Hanford Environmental Report (2015) Supplements "Hanford & the River" book and includes updated versions of fact sheets.
Articles & Blog Posts:
- Hanford Extended Timeline: A Race Against Time, April 2023
- Where Grief and Hope Can Coexist, April 2023
- The Land Speaks, April 2023
- Generational Advocacy, April 2023
- An Interview with Yakama Nation’s Hanford Cleanup Team, April 2023
- A Track Record of Protecting the Columbia, April 2023
- ACT: Future of Radioactive Tank Waste at Hanford, December 2021
- A Place Worth Fighting For, Hanford: The Hidden Beauty video, July 2021
- ACT: Object to Hanford Cleanup Delays, May 30, 2021
- Time to Revoke Trump’s Nuclear Waste Rule, February 26, 2021
- Interviews with Hanford Downwinders, January 26, 2021
- Hanford Nuclear Site: Through a Native Poet’s Eyes, October 15, 2020
- Even in dark times victory abounds, December 22, 2020
- Hanford Nuclear Site: Through a Native Poet’s Eyes, October 15, 2020
- Webinar Recap: Chernobyl-like Catastrophe at Hanford?, September 15, 2020
- Trailblazer, River Current Newsletter 2020 Issue 2
- Hanford Inspires, July 22, 2020
- Hanford’s Toxic Groundwater & Aging Infrastructure, July 9, 2020
- Webinar Recap: Hanford’s Groundwater, July 6, 2020
- Watch: High Risks at Hanford, May 1, 2020
- Aging Infrastructure at Hanford Threatens the Columbia River, April 10, 2020.
- Hanford—A Future Worth Fighting For, February 12, 2020.
- The feds are withholding key information about cleanup at the most polluted place on Earth: Hanford, January 9, 2020.
- Public Health, Environmental Groups Slam Federal Government’s Latest Proposed Cleanup Plan for Hanford Nuclear Site, November 25, 2019.
- Hanford Cleanup Cutting Corners, November 22, 2019.
- Hanford Bird Guide: Much more than a nuclear waste site, over 258 species of birds call the Hanford Reach home, June 2019.
- Updates from the Legal Team on Hanford, August 8, 2019.
- 5 Facts about Hanford, August 2, 2019.
- Yakama Nation and over 150 People Gather along the Columbia River to Call for Hanford Cleanup, Honor Legacy of Tribal Leader, June 14, 2019.
- Over 1,400 Riverkeeper Members Blast Trump Administration’s Proposal on High-Level Waste, January 22, 2019.
- Thousands Urge Federal Government to Drop Proposal to Reclassify High-Level Nuclear Waste at Hanford, Press Release, November 5, 2018.
- Urge Energy to Clean Up Hanford's Purex Tunnels, Blog, Feb. 22, 2018
- Columbia Riverkeeper Urges Action, Caution at Problem-Plagued Hanford Site, Blog, Feb. 22, 2018
- Riverkeeper Attends the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Blog, Jan. 29, 2016
- Take Action for Hanford Cleanup: Major Delays Proposed for Hanford Cleanup, Blog, Nov. 25, 2015
- Dr Terrill, Hanford cleanup advocate, just completed a 225-mile peace walk from Portland to Hanford, Blog, Oct 30, 2015
- Riverkeeper Member Walks from Portland to Hanford to Raise Awareness about Nuclear Weapons Legacy, Blog, Sept 30, 2015
- Hanford Reach Paddle Trip 2015 Photos, Facebook Photo Album, July 28, 2015
- Protect Our River From Nuclear Waste: Take Action Today – Public Service Announcements, Blog, June 24, 2015
- Attention Hanford Citizen Scientists, Blog, May 29, 2015
- Riverkeeper Challenges Pollution Permit, Blog, Nov. 25, 2014
- Radioactive Waste Cleanup Deadlines at Hanford, Blog, Oct. 22, 2014
- Hanford Cleanup Critique, Blog, August 13, 2014
- Riverkeeper and Allies Demand Prompt Action on a Generations-Long Problem, Blog, April 18, 2014
- State Orders Action from Energy on Leaking Double-Shell Tank at Hanford, Blog, March 25, 2014
- Hanford Cleanup Plans Fall Short, Blog, Dec. 2013
- One Leaking Tank is Too Many, Blog, Nov. 2013
- Hundreds Call for More Aggressive Hanford Cleanup Blog, Oct. 2013
- A storybook of kayaking, canoeing, and paddling the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, Blog, Sept. 2013
- Nuclear Power Proposed for Nuclear Clean Up at Hanford, Blog, Aug. 2012
- Energy Plans to Leave Plutonium in the Soil & Limit River Cleanup, Blog, Jan. 2012
Fact Sheets:
- Fact Sheet: The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Test Bed Initiative will Determine the Future of Radioactive Tank Waste at the Hanford Nuclear Site (December 2021)
- Fact Sheet: Changes to the Tri-Party Agreement Milestones will Delay Removal and Disposal of Long-Lived, Dangerous Waste at the Hanford Nuclear Site (May 2021)
- Fact Sheet: Danger Below the Surface— Hanford’s Groundwater Threatens the Columbia River (June 2020)
- Fact Sheet: Aging Infrastructure at Hanford Threatens the Columbia River (April 2020)
- Comment Guide: Aging Infrastructure at Hanford Threatens the Columbia River (April 2020)
- Hanford River Corridor Cleanup Plan: 100BC Area (November 2019)
- Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Fact Sheet (November 2018)
- High-Level Radioactive & Toxic Waste at Hanford: Changing the Label is Not Cleanup (August 2018)
- Why is cleanup at Hanford’s PUREX Tunnels a big deal? (March 2018)
- Uranium in the Columbia River: Not on Our Watch! Learn about the plan that decides how much and how long uranium and other dangerous pollutants will threaten the Columbia River. (August 2013)
- Blurred Vision A critique of the Department of Energy's 2015 Vision which misleads the public and decision makers about the extent of cleanup in the River Corridor. (January 2013)
- Hanford Site Wide Dangerous Waste Permit Ecology’s “Site-Wide Dangerous Waste Permit” is the state of Washington’s primary tool for establishing the basic rules for clean up of toxic waste at Hanford. (May 2012)
- Salmon + Nuclear Waste Discover how the pollution from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation threatens salmon populations. (May 2011)
Comment Letters:
- Columbia Riverkeeper Hanford Site 5 Year Plan Comments (November 2022)
- Columbia Riverkeeper's technical comments about the Test Bed Initiative (February 2022)
- Columbia Riverkeeper Comment Letter Request for Governor Inslee and Director Watson to Proactively Address Leaking Tank B-109 and Future Tank Leaks at the Hanford Nuclear Site (October 2021)
- Columbia Riverkeeper Comment Letter on Proposed Interim Action Cleanup Plan: for the 200-BP-5 and 200-PO-1 Groundwater Operable Units. (July 2020)
- Columbia Riverkeeper Comment Letter on Stabilization of Disposal Structures at Risk of Failure and Time Critical Removal Action. Planned Actions of Stabilization of 216-Z-2 Crib, 241-Z-361 Settling Tank, and 216-Z-9 Crib. (June 2020)
- Columbia Riverkeeper Comment Letter on Proposed Plan for Remediation: of the 100-BC-1, 100-BC-2, and 100-BC-5 Operable Units (December 2019)
- Comment letter, NRDC et al. Comments on Energy Department’s Request for Public Comment on the Interpretation of High-Level Radioactive Waste. (January 2019)
- Comment letter, Oregon Department of Energy to U.S. Department of Energy. (November 2018)
- Hanford Advisory Board Advice, Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Determination for Waste Management Area C. (November 2018)
- The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation letter, Comments on WIR.(November 2018)
- Washington Department of Ecology letter, Comments on WIR. (November 2018)
- Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for Closure of Waste Management Area C at the Hanford Site (Draft WIR Evaluation): The U.S. Department of Energy Proposal to Re-Label High-Level Waste. (July 2018)
- Hanford Advisory Board Advice, 100-BC (June 2018)
- The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Letter, Review of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study and Proposed Plan : for the 100-BC-1, BC-2 and BC-5 Operable Units, DOE/RL-2010-96 and DOE/RL-2016-43, Draft A. (January 2018)
- Don't Shortchange Hanford's Groundwater: Despite the need to intercept radioactive and chemical waste in the groundwater before it reaches the Columbia River, Energy’s proposed 2014 and 2015 budget shortchanges Hanford’s critical groundwater treatment program. The groundwater program will receive only half of the funds necessary to reach cleanup milestones. Just 6 percent of the proposed Hanford budget of $2.2 billion is targeted toward groundwater cleanup. (June 2013)
- Tri-Party Agreement Proposed Changes: Riverkeeper remains concerned that the changes to the Tri-Party Agreement will prompt delays in cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site, specifically the River Corridor and that the Department of Energy is failing to adequately fund necessary cleanup activities. (January 2013)
- Natural Resource Damage Injury Assessment Plan: Imagine spending a day exploring Hanford’s unique landscapes, including the Hanford Dunes, viewing the wildlife of Hanford’s undisturbed shrub-steppe habitat, and fishing in the free-flowing Hanford Reach. Seventy years of nuclear contamination have scarred Hanford and damaged many of these recreational opportunities and natural resources. But now, a group of federal, state and tribal representatives – the Hanford Trustees – are taking the first steps towards restoration. Let the Trustees know that recreation is an important resource that you want to see restored at Hanford. (January 2012)
- Miscellaneous Streams Permit: The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is re-issuing a permit that allows the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy) to dump millions of gallons of maintenance and construction wastewater, cooling water, condensate, and industrial stormwater onto the ground at Hanford on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this permit—called the "Miscellaneous Streams Permit"—may not adequately protect the Columbia River and Hanford’s already-contaminated groundwater. (January 2013)
Hanford Curriculum:
- Hanford & the River, Curriculum, High School Environmental Science Produced by Columbia Riverkeeper, Lesson 1, 2014
- Hanford & the River, Curriculum, High School Environmental Science Produced by Columbia Riverkeeper, Lesson 2, 2014
- Hanford & the River, Curriculum, High School Environmental Science Produced by Columbia Riverkeeper, Lesson 3, 2014
Other Resources:
Learn more about Hanford's nuclear legacy, the Department of Energy's responsibility to remove the contamination and what other government agencies and nonprofits are doing to protect northwest communities and the Columbia River from contamination.
- Hanford Challenge
- Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Council
- Heart of the America Northwest
- Oregon Department of Nuclear Safety
- Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board
- Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Tri-City Herald: Hanford News
- Tri-Party Agreement
- U.S. Department of Energy - Hanford
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Hanford
- Washington State Department of Ecology
- Voices of the Manhattan Project
- CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
Much more than a nuclear waste site, over 258 species of birds call the Hanford Reach home
Historic Hanford
The 586‐square‐mile Hanford Nuclear 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. Located in a sparsely populated area in south‐central Washington State near the city of Richland, the federal government quickly evacuated and condemned the small towns of White Bluffs and Hanford. The government also denied access to Native Americans who lived along the river and had historically used the area for fishing, hunting, food gathering, and religious purposes. Within a year, the U.S. constructed the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor. In August 1945, concentrated plutonium manufactured at Hanford powered the nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
The United States eventually built nine nuclear reactors along the Columbia River to produce plutonium and other materials. The river provided electricity from the Grand Coulee Dam and abundant water to cool the nuclear reactors.
From 1943 to 1989, the federal government generated unprecedented volumes of hazardous and radioactive waste. For example, Hanford released approximately 725,000 curies of radioactive iodine‐131 between 1944 and 1957. In contrast, the 1979 famous accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania released between 15 and 24 curies of iodine‐131.
During Hanford’s operation, the federal government disposed of hundreds of millions of gallons of radioactive waste directly into the ground—injection wells, trenches, and buried drums. D.O.E. also placed waste in 177 large underground tanks, many of which are now leaking. The United States also discharged contaminated cooling water into the Columbia River from the nuclear reactors, which contained about 110 million curies of mostly short‐lived radionuclides. Hanford operations also resulted in air emissions of approximately 20 million curies from 1944 to 1972. Citizens downwind report increased rates of thyroid cancer as a result of the iodine releases.
Legal advocacy and community organizing stop pollution, fight fossil fuels, save salmon, engage communities, and clean up Hanford.