Think Out Loud

Sick Hanford workers fighting DOE denials of compensation claims

By Allison Frost (OPB)
Nov. 12, 2026 2 p.m.

Broadcast: Thursday, Nov. 12

A gate and signs stand guard at one of the Hanford site’s tank farms.

A gate and signs stand guard at one of the Hanford site’s tank farms.

Anna King / NWPB

The Department of Energy has continued to fight the workers compensation claims of workers who got sick from radioactive material at the Hanford nuclear reservation in southeastern Washington. The energy department contends that something other than exposure to the nuclear waste at the site was the cause of their cancers, neurological diseases and respiratory illnesses. The DOE has filed more than 500 appeals to prevent benefits for workers and their survivors. Reporters Lizz Giordano and Brandon Block recently filed a report on the plight of these workers for Cascade PBS and Problica. Block joins us to share more details about their reporting.

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