Jan. 25: Hanford groundwater monitoring and remediation focus of WSU, DOE lecture

Jan. 25: Hanford groundwater monitoring and remediation focus of WSU, DOE lecture

By Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford Site groundwater monitoring and remediation will be the focus of a presentation by the U.S. Department of Energy and Washington State University Tri-Cities, 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in the East Auditorium at WSU Tri-Cities.

The lecture is the fifth presentation in a series on the Hanford Site, presented by WSU Tri-Cities and DOE. Attendance at former lectures is not necessary to appreciate information in the upcoming lecture. The presentation is open to the public.

Mike Cline, director of the Soil and Groundwater Division at DOE in Richland, will deliver the lecture focusing on the current sampling and monitoring program on the Hanford Site and the groundwater remediation that is being performed. Additionally, he will discuss the process for selecting current and future remedies at the site.

The Hanford Site, part of the DOE nuclear weapons complex, encompasses approximately 580 square miles along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington state. During World War II and the Cold War period, the government built and operated nine nuclear reactors for the production of plutonium and other nuclear materials.

During reactor operations, chemical and radioactive wastes were released into the environment and contaminated the soil and groundwater beneath portions of the Hanford Site. Since 1989, DOE has worked to remediate the contamination.

A live AMS broadcast has been scheduled on the WSU Pullman, Vancouver, Everett and Spokane campuses. To find the locations, visit the WSU AMS calendar at: ams.wsu.edu/RequestForm/EventsCalendar.aspx.

For more information, contact Tish Christman at tish.christman@wsu.edu.