Hanford Field Office to Lead Cleanup as Integrated, Galvanized Enterprise

RICHLAND, Wash. - The two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offices responsible for performing the Hanford Site 's environmental cleanup work have been combined under a new name, the Hanford Field Office, beginning today.

The Richland Operations Office had been in place since the late 1960s after the Hanford Site transitioned from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. In 1989, the mission of the Hanford Site and the Richland Operations Office changed from national security to environmental cleanup.

Congress created the DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999. ORP was established to provide a singular focus on delivering the capability to safely treat chemical and radioactive waste stored in massive underground tanks at Hanford.

"With the capability of large-scale tank waste treatment now in the commissioning process through the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste facilities and program, the objective for which ORP was created has been effectively achieved," said Brian Vance, manager of the now-combined Hanford Field Office.

"Over the last several years, we've taken organizational steps to address redundancies between the offices, realizing efficiencies and enhancing our alignment toward achieving our cleanup goals. The office combination is the logical next step in establishing an integrated and galvanized enterprise to successfully lead the full scope of the cleanup mission into the future," Vance said.