Editor’s note: The video above was originally published in 2017.
RICHLAND, Wash. - A new state report found that more than 57% of Hanford Nuclear Reservation workers reported exposure to hazardous materials on the former nuclear weapons production site in southcentral Washington state.
The Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Board recently released its final report and recommendations on the unmet health care needs of Hanford workers.
The report’s central recommendation calls for the creation of a new, independent Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Center. It would provide a clearinghouse for dissemination of accepted medical and scientific literature.
Important functions would also include evaluation and communication of newly available studies about Hanford-specific hazards.
“The working families that make up the Hanford community represent a very unique population, with occupational risks not easily quantified or identified,” said Nickolas A. Bumpaous, Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Board co-chair. “Hundreds if not thousands of studies have been conducted over the years, each one focused in different areas and producing different recommendations.”