Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do you think about _____________? Please send me all the information you have about _____________.

You're a student writing a term paper, right? We appreciate your interest, but we don't have time to answer such a broad question. Please read the appropriate "Hanford issues" section and then send us a more specific question if you need to. We also suggest looking through our discussion email list archive, and checking our Web links page.

2. Has there been any progress in cleaning up Hanford?

Yes. Progress has been made on getting contaminated dirt away from the river, dry storage of the spent fuel in the K Basins, and cleaning up the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Construction has started on the tank waste vitrification plant. We still have a long way to go. Please stay tuned.

3. I believe Hanford has affected my health or the health of someone I know. How can I get more information?

Please check our Hanford issues Health section, and our Web links page. A "downwinders" lawsuit against the Dept. of Energy is in progress.

4. Will the tank waste vitrification project work?

We are encouraged that construction has started on the vitrification plant. We are concerned that the plan keeps changing, and that DOE is proposing to use some alternative technologies, other than vitrification, to immobilize some of the tank waste, without sufficient evidence that these technologies work. We believe they may be cutting corners to save money. We also believe that it is necessary to keep a close watch on construction so that it doesn't fall behind schedule. Another concern is that they are still designing the plant while they are building it.