Trump DOE Suggests Breaking the Hanford Cleanup Deal

Sep 24

A Federal Decree compels the Hanford cleanup—but the Trump administration suggests it may not comply.

By Linda Gunshefski

The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order is not merely a handshake, it’s a federal consent order, enforceable in court.

Hanford, located near the Columbia River in Southeastern Washington is the Federal Government site that produced plutonium for US atomic weapons. It is the largest and most contaminated nuclear site in the Western Hemisphere. For more than three decades, stakeholders have been working on a plan to safely and completely remove the radioactive waste at Hanford. The clean-up plan is governed by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) and is a binding federal contract. Signed in 1989 by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology, the TPA commits the Federal Government to paying for the clean up Hanford’s waste and details how the job will be done.

The core promise of the TPA is simple but the task is arduous, clean up the 56 million gallons of radioactive waste sitting in 177 leaky underground tanks at the Hanford site.

The TPA is not merely a handshake, it’s a federal consent order enforceable in court. The core promise of the TPA is simple but the task is arduous, clean up the 56 million gallons of radioactive waste sitting in 177 leaky underground tanks at Hanford. The leakage threatens the region’s water table and the Columbia River itself. The TPA is a promise made by the Federal Government to the people and future generations of Washington State.

Now, in September 2025, less than one month before the critical part of the clean-up process is scheduled to begin, the White House is hinting that they intend to break the agreement.

The Federal DOE’s waffling now, one month before the start of vitrification.

Senator Murray phone call with the Secretary of Energy

According to Senator Patty Murray, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright advised her during a phone call this past week, that the DOE is planning to postpone initiating the critical first step in the clean up process. For years, the “hot commissioning” process has been scheduled to begin in October 2025. Additionally earlier this month, the DOE fired Roger Jarrell the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management who has overseen the project. Jarrell’s firing was abrupt and came just weeks before the October 15 vitrification deadline. His removal suggests DOE leadership wants to recast Hanford strategy, despite decades of agreements under the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA). (See Timeline in Addendums.)

Senator Murray issued a blistering statement in response:

“Today, Secretary Wright admitted to me during a phone call that the Department of Energy is planning to curb hot commissioning at the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford—an astonishingly senseless and destructive move and a threat to the entire nuclear cleanup mission at Hanford.

The Secretary’s comments were in stark contrast to the positive news we received today that safety reviews and technical tests at one melter at the Waste Treatment Plant have been completed—some of the final steps before the plant can begin turning nuclear waste into glass via completion of hot commissioning by October 15th. Not only has this facility already been built, but commissioning is ahead of schedule. Secretary Wright claimed that moving forward with hot commissioning is an issue of safety, but records do not corroborate his assertion.

Whether Secretary Wright was given bad information or is simply confused about how the vitrification facility works, I can’t say, “

Press Conference with Stakeholders

Governor Bob Ferguson convened a press conference in the Tri-Cities alongside labor leaders, tribal representatives, and state officials. His message was blunt. If the DOE tries to renege on the TPA, Washington State will haul the federal government into court—immediately.

Governor Ferguson: “There is zero chance we’re backing down… and zero chance we’re going to lose.”

Governor Ferguson: “This is not complicated. There is a deal. It’s a federal court order. Honor it.”

Ferguson underscored that the TPA and subsequent consent decrees already bind DOE. The state wouldn’t need to file a new lawsuit, it would simply enforce the existing order.

Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller reinforced the point: “There is no evidence of any outstanding safety issues with the Waste Treatment Plant. We are confident the plant is ready for hot commissioning.”

And labor leaders, representing the thousands of skilled union workers at Hanford,

Nick Bumpaous (Labor): “The notion that DOE would turn its back on this mission is nothing short of a betrayal.”

What’s Going On?

DOE Secretary Chris Wright claims there are “safety issues” over hot commissioning but these concerns are unsubstantiated. Bechtel, the private contractor, has cleared the melter tests for safety. Washington State officials and local labor leaders say there’s no evidence of outstanding safety problems.

It’s more likely the Trump administration doesn’t want to pay for the clean-up. The cost of Hanford’s vitrification plant has increased from $4 billion to $30+ billion. The project will cost $2.5–3 billion per year to maintain. DOE leaders may pivot away from vitrification and search for a cheaper method that can be sold as “fiscally responsible” even if it is not the agreed upon or best clean-up option. The DOE suggests breaking the Tri-Party Agreement and pushing long-term risks and costs onto Washington State, tribes, and future generations.

Not cleaning up Hanford, completely and correctly, is an existential threat to Southeastern Washington.

Have you had enough yet? Call to Action: We Have Our Voices

Our representatives in Washington, DC are there to represent us and not rubber-stamp the President’s policy decisions. If you believe the Hanford cleanup must move forward without delay—and that the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) must be honored—here’s how you can help:

Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative’s or Senator’s office.

Or find your Member of Congress via House.gov or Congress.gov.

Suggested script:

“Hello, my name is [Your Name], I live in [City, ZIP]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative ___] to insist that DOE move forward with the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant’s hot commissioning by October 15 as required under the Tri-Party Agreement. Delaying or abandoning the agreement would violate binding legal obligations and put public health, jobs, and our environment at risk.”

Every call matters. The Hanford cleanup isn’t optional—it’s a decree. Not cleaning up Hanford, completely and correctly, is an existential threat to Southeastern Washington.