With Senator Murray as Appropriations Chair, President Biden Proposes Largest Budget Ever for Hanford Cleanup

ICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Washington State Delegation in Pushing for Increased Funding for Hanford Cleanup – MORE HERE 

Senator Murray: “I’m glad the President heard me loud and clear—you can’t shortchange the Hanford cleanup or the workers who power that mission.”

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded President Biden for proposing the largest ever budget for the cleanup of the Hanford site at $3 billion overall—a historic request from the Biden Administration that comes as Senator Murray leads the Senate in writing the nation’s spending bills.

“I’m glad the President heard me loud and clear—you can’t shortchange the Hanford cleanup or the workers who power that mission,” said Senator Murray. “This budget proposal is historic progress and will help tremendously as I work to build off the record funding I helped to secure in last year’s spending package. You can bet I will keep up the fight as Appropriations Chair to do everything I can to make sure the federal government lives up to its moral and legal obligation to the Tri-Cities communities and to cleanup Hanford.” 

The President’s Fiscal Year 2024 request includes $921 million for Richland, $1.974 billion for the Office of River Protection, $100 million for Safeguards and Security and $3.2 million for the Fast Flux Test Facility, for a historic total of $3 billion. Notably, the request proposes a 53% increase, or $207.83 million, over FY 2023 enacted levels for the High-Level Waste Facility within the Office of River Protection. More information on the President’s budget request can be found here.

Senator Murray has led the fight in Congress to secure funding for the cleanup at Hanford, protect workers, and support the Tri-Cities communities. Overall, this request is a $155 million increase, or 5.5%, over FY 2023 enacted levels. Last September, Senator Murray introduced the Beryllium Testing Fairness Act which will help more Hanford workers and nuclear weapons complex workers across the country—both past and present—access care for diseases caused by beryllium exposure. Last October, Senator Murray led the Washington state delegation in a letter to President Biden urging him to increase funding for the Hanford site cleanup through the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Environmental Management (EM).

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