We are a nonprofit group called Northwest Energy Associates (NEA) launched by several Tri-Cities business leaders to advocate for safer, faster, and less costly methods to clean up the Hanford Site.
Northwest Energy Associates (NEA) Board of Directors
Gary Petersen, President, is a former Communications Director for the Washington Public Power Supply System and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and former vice-president of Tri-Cities Development Council’s (TRIDEC’s) Federal Programs.
Bob Ferguson, Co-chair, is a former DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Programs, former CEO of Washington Public Power Supply System (now Energy Northwest), and the first president of TRICNC (now TRIDEC).
Bill Lampson, Co-chair, is the CEO of Lampson International, and current chairman of TRIDEC’s Federal Programs committee.
Kathy Balcom, Communications Director, is a Tri-City advertising executive and marketing specialist, executive board member of TRIDEC, President of Tri-City Water Follies, and founding member of the Mid-Columbia Small Business Awards.
Kate Lampson, Secretary, is the Communications Director for Lampson International, a member of the Board of Directors for the Washington Policy Center, the Association of Washington Business, the TRIDEC Board and is a member of Women of Washington.
NEA Advisory Council
Norm Dicks, former U.S. Representative for Washington State
Sid Morrison, former U.S. Representative for Washington State
What we’re about
If the DOE continues with the current plan to vitrify all of the tank waste, the Hanford Site will become an unpaid de facto long-term repository for a variety of nuclear waste types, in particular the 56 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in Hanford’s 177 underground tanks. The NEA advocates for the use of safer, faster, and less costly alternative treatment methods and offsite disposal that will accelerate the cleanup of waste in Hanford tank farms.
The all-volunteer board of directors will be expanded to represent other interests impacted by the long delay in Hanford cleanup and the need for a new mission for Hanford stability.
The long-time business leaders were compelled to form this nonprofit advocacy organization out of frustration from watching decades of delay and skyrocketing taxpayer liability for cleaning up Hanford’s underground storage tanks. The Tri-Party Agreement was signed more than 30 years ago to direct and accelerate cleanup of the Hanford Site. Although cleanup work on parts of the Site have shown progress, the tank farm cleanup under the vitrification plan has languished.
The estimated life-cycle cost for all of Hanford cleanup increased from $106 billion in 2016 to a range of $323 billion to $677 billion in 2019, and the timeline for completing vitrification and cleanup has been pushed into the next century.
Citizens in eastern Washington and beyond have begun to recognize that continued funding of Hanford cleanup at continually increasing levels is not sustainable.
The NEA will hold agencies, contractors, and individuals publicly accountable by keeping the region and the nation apprised of both progress and delays, budgets, and permit activity regarding cleanup of Hanford tank farms in a Clean Up Hanford Now newsletter. Other up-to-date factual information will be posted on this website to keep the public informed.
We are opposed to the status quo strategy for Hanford cleanup.
Like-minded individuals are invited to join this effort to support faster, safer, and less costly ways to process and dispose of tank waste. The continued delay and ever-increasing costs of the current vitrification strategy for Hanford Site tank farm cleanup is no longer acceptable or affordable.
