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Hanford - Washington
Site Summary
 Loading contaminated soil into a truck with a former plutonium production reactor in the background.
Located in southeastern Washington State, Hanford is a 1,520-square-kilometer (586-square-mile) site created in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was America’s effort to develop the atomic bomb before Nazi Germany. The effort at Hanford focused on making plutonium for such bombs.
Operation of the plutonium-producing facilities continued beyond World War II through the Cold War, and a total of nine nuclear reactors were eventually constructed along the Columbia River.
In 1989, production operations stopped and the Site’s mission shifted to cleanup of portions of the site contaminated with hazardous substances, including both radionuclides and chemical waste.
While the operations at Hanford played a role in both World War II and the Cold War, they also created one of the largest and most complex cleanup projects in United States history. Weapons production at Hanford resulted in more than 33 million cubic meters (43 million cubic yards) of radioactive waste and over 100 million cubic meters (over 130 million cubic yards) of contaminated soil and debris. Approximately 1.8 trillion liters (475 billion gallons) of contaminated water was discharged to the soil. Some of the contaminants have made it to groundwater under the site and there are several large contaminant plumes. Over 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) of groundwater is contaminated above groundwater protection standards on the Hanford Site. After more than forty years of plutonium production, activities at the Hanford Site are now based on waste management, environmental restoration, and science and technology.
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Cleanup Areas
In 1988, Hanford was divided into four National Priorities List (NPL) sites including the 100, 200, 300, and 1100 Areas. The NPL is the list of sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment if contaminants and exposure to them are not addressed.
Additional Hanford Sites: Click on the triangle  to expand or collapse a heading and see more information.
 Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility
 400 Area
The 400 Area is the location of the Fast Flux Text Facility. Initially designed to test advanced fuels as part of the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program, the Fast Flux Text Facility began full-power operation in 1982. The facility later expanded into other areas of research and development, including fusion research, space power systems, medical isotope production, and international research programs. During its standby period, the Fast Flux Test Facility was considered as a possible producer of tritium and medical isotopes for the United States. In late 2000, after seven years in standby status, deactivation of the Fast Flux Test Facility was ordered. In early 2001, however, USDOE authorized another study of Fast Flux Test Facility’s future viability as a facility to produce medical isotopes, but the reactor was finally shut down. There have been no releases from the FFTF facility, but it is being deactivated as a CERCLA action to mitigate the risk of future releases.
600 Area
White Paper
News
Tri-Party Agreement
The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (also known as the Tri-Party Agreement) was signed by USDOE, EPA, and Ecology in 1989 with the purpose of coordinating the CERCLA and RCRA cleanup authorities at Hanford. The Tri-Party Agreement also outlines the process for changing, removing, or adding milestones, the conditions under which penalties may be issued, and the requirements for public involvement relating to Hanford cleanup actions. Major changes to the Tri-Party Agreement require approval of all three agencies and are only made after a public participation process has been followed.
Tri-Party Agreement
Related Sites
Five-Year Review
Fact Sheets and Documents
- Hanford Reach National Monument - A large portion of the cleaned up part of Hanford has been designated a national monument. This area includes the western portion of the site containing Rattlesnake mountain and the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve, the Columbia River, all the land east and north of the Columbia River, and a strip of land approximately 1/4 mile wide along the south and west edge of the Columbia River. Risks to human users of these areas resulting from residual contaminants are discussed in this fact sheet.
- Hanford Integrated Groundwater and Vadose Zone Management Plan (PDF) (68pp, 12.24MB)
- Cleaning up Hanford's Groundwater
[ Main Cleanup | Brownfields ]
[ Superfund | FOIA | Records Center ]
Point of contact: David Einan
E-Mail: einan.david@epamail.epa.gov
Phone Number: (509) 376-3883
Last Updated: 11/10/2009
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