200 East Area

200 East Area
Name	200 East Area
Location	Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, Benton County, Washington
Established	1940s
Operator	United States Department of Energy; Bechtel, Fluor Corporation, Washington River Protection Solutions
Purpose	Radioactive waste storage, chemical processing, environmental remediation

200 East Area

The 200 East Area is a secured industrial sector within the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington in Benton County, Washington, established during the Manhattan Project and expanded through the Cold War. It hosts legacy nuclear waste storage tanks, chemical processing plants, and remediation projects overseen by the United States Department of Energy and contractors such as Bechtel, Fluor Corporation, and Washington River Protection Solutions. The area is central to federal cleanup efforts linked to the Atomic Energy Commission era operations, the Hanford Site cleanup program, and regulatory oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency and Washington State Department of Ecology.

Overview

The 200 East Area lies adjacent to the Columbia River corridor and complements the 200 West Area within the Hanford Nuclear Reservation footprint. It contains high-level radioactive waste tanks, ancillary facilities, transfer lines, and treatment plants integrated with projects like the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and the Tank Farms complex. The site is subject to agreements such as the Tri-Party Agreement (Washington State, EPA, DOE) and participates in cleanup schedules influenced by federal statutes including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

History and Development

Development began in the 1940s under the Manhattan Project with construction by contractors including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and General Electric to support plutonium production at nearby reactors such as B Reactor. During the Cold War, expansion involved facilities built by DuPont and later operations under the Atomic Energy Commission and the Energy Research and Development Administration. The 1950s–1970s era added single-shell tanks and chemical separations facilities tied to projects like the PUREX plant and the defense production missions of the Department of Defense. Post-1970s regulatory reforms prompted oversight from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and environmental litigation involving stakeholders like the Natural Resources Defense Council and State of Washington agencies, catalyzing the modern cleanup era.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Key assets include multiple underground waste storage tanks (single-shell and double-shell) similar in purpose to those in the 200 West Area tank farms, transfer pump stations, evaporators, and the Effluent Treatment Facility. Infrastructure connects to the Hanford Site Rail Yard, onsite laboratories modeled after earlier facilities such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and secure processing buildings analogous to the Chemical Processing Plant complexes. Support comes from utilities managed by entities like Battelle Memorial Institute and transportation by contractors with ties to Lockheed Martin and other national laboratory networks. Security and emergency response coordinate with Federal Emergency Management Agency protocols and local responders in Richland, Washington and Kennewick, Washington.

Environmental and Safety Issues

Environmental concerns focus on contamination of soil, groundwater, and proximity to the Columbia River, prompting actions under CERCLA and state enforcement by the Washington State Department of Ecology. Issues include legacy tank leaks, volatile organic compound plumes, and radiological inventory management reminiscent of challenges faced at sites like Savannah River Site and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Safety governance involves the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, independent reviews from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, and consultations with tribes including the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe regarding cultural and natural resource protection. Remediation employs technologies developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and partnerships with contractors such as CH2M Hill.

Operations and Activities

Ongoing activities encompass retrieval of waste from single-shell tanks to double-shell tanks, pretreatment operations linked to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, groundwater pump-and-treat systems, waste characterization, and long-term stewardship planning. Day-to-day operations are conducted under contracts awarded by the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection and involve workforce elements represented by labor organizations historically associated with Hanford workforces. Monitoring programs coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency and academic partners from institutions like Washington State University and University of Washington for health studies and environmental sampling.

Future Plans and Redevelopment

Future plans emphasize tank retrieval completion, startup and commissioning of pretreatment and vitrification components of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, and phased closure of remedial units under the Tri-Party Agreement. Long-term redevelopment concepts have been discussed involving federal land transfer, ecological restoration mirroring efforts at Hanford Reach National Monument, and potential reuse scenarios considered with stakeholders including the National Park Service and regional economic development authorities. Timelines depend on funding from United States Congress appropriations, technological milestones validated by the National Academy of Sciences, and continued engagement with tribal governments and regulatory agencies.

Category:Hanford Site Category:Nuclear waste storage facilities