Budgeting enough money for the clean-up at the Hanford nuclear reservation in south central Washington is an effort Washington's senior U.S. Senator Patty Murray pushes for every year. In this May 6, 2026 photo provided by her office, she is seen touring the Hanford facilities.
Courtesy Sen. Patty Murray
President Trump has proposed cutting the funding for cleaning up the radioactive waste at Hanford by $400 million, and the House Appropriations Committee proposed even bigger cuts. Washington’s senior U.S. Senator Patty Murray long fought for “a budget that lives up to the federal government’s moral and legal obligation” to clean up decades of highly radioactive waste.
Although Hanford got a record $3.2 billion for the current fiscal year, the Washington State Ecology Department said the actual amount needed to fully fund the cleanup is $6.15 billion, and that $6.76 billion will be needed for 2027. We talk with Murray about Hanford and how Congressional budget negotiations are going.
“Think Out Loud®” broadcasts live at noon every day and rebroadcasts at 8 p.m.
If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983.
