Editor’s note: A previous version of the article and a push notification stated that the storage tank is leaking radioactive waste. The Department of Ecology issued a correction, stating that the tank is ‘suspected’ of leaking radioactive waste.
BENTON COUNTY, Wash. – A third underground storage tank is suspected of leaking radioactive waste at Hanford, according to Washington State Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson.
The U.S. Department of Energy notified the Department of Ecology on Thursday of a possible leak in Tank T-101. The possible new leak is a sign of the aging infrastructure and the threat it poses to the environment and nearby communities, according to Watson.
Based on the current information the Department of Ecology has, it does not believe the suspected leak poses an immediate risk to the workers or the public. Watson said Ecology is now working with Energy to ensure they address the leak properly.
There are 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Site. The Department of Energy found Tank B-109 to be leaking in 2021 and T-111 in 2013.
Ecology issued an Agreed Order with Energy in 2022 to address leaks in B-109 and T-111 which prioritize these tanks in the waste retrieval process among other steps to minimize the impact of the radioactive waste into the ground.
