On May 15, 1989, the Washington Department of Ecology (WSDE), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the DOE entered into the Tri-Party Agreement, which provides a legal framework for environmental remediation at Hanford. By 2014, the agencies were engaged in the world's largest environmental cleanup, with many challenges to be resolved in the face of overlapping technical, political, regulatory, and cultural interests. The cleanup effort was focused on three outcomes: restoring the Columbia River corridor for other uses, converting the central plateau to long-term waste treatment and storage, and preparing for the future. In 2020, WSDE issued the EPA with a $1.065 million penalty for restricting WSDE from direct access to facility data required for regulatory oversight in accord with the Tri-Party Agreement; a settlement agreement being finalized in 2023.
on may 15 1989 the washington department of ecology (wsde) the united states environmental protection agency (epa) and the doe entered into the tri-party agreement which provides a legal framework for environmental remediation at hanford by 2014 the agencies were engaged in the world's largest environmental cleanup with many challenges to be resolved in the face of overlapping technical political regulatory and cultural interests the cleanup effort was focused on three outcomes restoring the columbia river corridor for other uses converting the central plateau to long-term waste treatment and storage and preparing for the future in 2020 wsde issued the epa with a $1065 million penalty for restricting wsde from direct access to facility data required for regulatory oversight in accord with the tri-party agreement; a settlement agreement being finalized in 2023