The Hanford Nuclear Site is the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere. Cleanup matters.
Columbia Riverkeeper’s Cleaning Up Hanford program is one of eternal hope. Radioactive and toxic pollution from Hanford threatens water quality, salmon, and people’s health. We work with Tribes and unite people to advocate for cleanup.
Current Campaigns
River Corridor & Groundwater Cleanup
High-Level Waste Reclassification
Tank Leaks
Free Youth Education Programs
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
The Problem
The Columbia River runs along the Hanford Nuclear Site, home to some of the most dangerous pollution on Earth.
Hanford is a result of the nuclear arms race that started with World War II and played out through the Cold War. For decades, the federal government stored highly radioactive and toxic waste in 177 underground tanks or dumped the pollution directly into the ground. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for one of the largest nuclear cleanup efforts in the world.
Our goal: hold the government accountable for protecting people and the Columbia from Hanford’s radioactive and toxic legacy.
Why It Matters
Columbia Riverkeeper works closely with the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakama Nation and engages people in one of the most importantㅡand complicatedㅡcleanups in the world.
- We watchdog government decisions on Hanford cleanup and share easy-to-digest fact sheets and talking points so people can engage in critical public-engagement opportunities.
- We work in solidarity with tribal nations to increase public participation in critical cleanup decisions at Hanford.
- We serve on the Hanford Advisory Board, a non-partisan government board that provides recommendations on Hanford cleanup to the U.S. Department of Energy., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington Department of Ecology.
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