presentations

• Delay in Cleanup of Lethal Radiation Levels under Hanford's 324 BuildingHoA presentation Aug 22, 2023 with suggested comments to EPA
• Guide to commenting on cleanup of contamination at B & C Reactor Areas by Dec.7, 2019
• ​Hanford's key wastesites and cleanup standards for radioactive wastes Intro 
  
• Hanford, Contamination from Leaking Tanks Intro
  

Alongside the Columbia River at the 100-Area sit the Department of Energy's 9 Nuclear Reactors, which once produced Plutonium for nuclear weapons. Further south, Hanford's 300-Area borders the River for miles.

Both Areas continue to send plumes of cesium-137, cobalt-60, europium-152 and -154, nickel-63 and strontium-90 into the soil and groundwater--contamination that will reach the River if cleanup efforts are inadequate or unsuccessful. 

The USDOE's Preferred Proposed Plan to cleanup the 100- and 300-Areas, however, is not one that would actively clean up the groundwater. 

The Yakama, Umatilla, and Nez Perce Nations have treaty rights to fish, live, and gather food alongside the River--join us in amplifying their voices and ensuring their safety! 

• Comments on B and C Reactor Areas with map showing contaminated areas alongside River which USDOE does not plan to clean up. Yakama Nation comments
• When will it be safe for tribal members and the public to use shorelines in the B-C Reactor Areas, what are exposure risks? One page guide
• Use this Citizens' Guide to comment on the proposed cleanup plan for the D and H Reactor Areas along the River (100 D and H Areas). The USDOE Proposed Plan would bar Tribal and public use of some areas and groundwater for 44 to 187 years.
  
• Read the full HOANW Citizens' Guide to the 100-Area Cleanup
  
• Read the full HOANW Citizens' Guide to the 300-Area cleanup
• Citizens' Guide to commenting on USDOE's Central Plateau groundwater cleanup plans (BP-5 & PO-1) July, 2020

​​YOUR GUIDE TO the Columbia river contamination threat from hanford 

Columbia River 

Save the 

MORE RESOURCES

• ​Photo of 300 Area and Columbia Rivershore prior to removal of most buildings with explanation of risks
  
• HoA's comments on plans to leave contamination in N-Reactor Area - violating Treaty Rights, NHPA and cleanup standards
  

Heart of America Northwest

The Columbia River borders the Hanford Nuclear Reservation for over 50 miles, past nine full scale nuclear reactors, hundreds of liquid waste and burial sites, and the region's only operating commercial reactor. 

The map below illustrates the areas along the river where groundwater contamination from radioactive chemicals--such as Chromium and Strontium-90--is anywhere from 1 to more than 100 times the drinking water standard. 

Click to view full map and explanation of sites from USDOE

The public's voice for Hanford cleanup, clean energy, and nuclear safety across the Northwest