Office of River Protection

Stored: Office of River Protection

Office of River Protection Type: Administrative and Support Agency Parent organization: Department of Energy Top organization: Department of Energy Employees: 2600 Executive: Manager Budget: $1.6 billion (FY 2024) Address: 2440 Stevens Center Place, Richland, WA 99354 Website: https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/ORP Creation Legislation: Wikipedia: Office of River Protection

Office of River Protection [{"name":"Office of River Protection","title":"\u003Ca class=\"mw-selflink selflink\"\u003EOffice of River Protection\u003C\/a\u003E","lat":46.553337,"lon":-119.489211,"otherValues":{"HeadquartersAddress":"2440 Stevens Center Place, Richland, WA 99354"}}] This map created from a Cargo query ()

Mission To safely retrieve and treat Hanford’s tank waste and close the Tank Farms. It protects the Columbia River by managing one of the world’s largest nuclear cleanup efforts.

Services Tank Waste Management; Environmental Cleanup; Regulatory Compliance; Community Engagement

Regulations

Office of River Protection (ORP) is a field office of the Department of Energy located at the Hanford Site in Washington State, overseeing the cleanup of 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in underground tanks, a legacy of decades of nuclear weapons production.

Official Site

Mission

The Office of River Protection is dedicated to managing and mitigating the environmental risks posed by Hanford’s tank waste through safe retrieval, treatment, and disposal processes, ultimately aiming to close the Tank Farms and safeguard the nearby Columbia River. It collaborates with contractors and stakeholders to execute one of DOE’s most complex cleanup missions, integrating advanced technologies like vitrification to immobilize waste for permanent storage.

Parent organization

The Office of River Protection operates under the Department of Energy, specifically within the Office of Environmental Management, which manages DOE’s nationwide cleanup efforts.

Legislation

The ORP was not established by specific legislation but was created in 1998 under DOE’s authority from the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, driven by the need to address Hanford’s tank waste cleanup.

Partners

• Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) for tank operations
• Bechtel National, Inc. for Waste Treatment Plant construction
• Local and tribal governments for environmental stewardship

Number of employees

The ORP employs approximately 2600 staff, including federal employees and contractor personnel.

Organization structure

ORP is structured to oversee the Hanford tank waste cleanup:

Leader

The Office of River Protection is headed by a Manager.

Divisions

The divisions include:

• Tank Operations Division for waste retrieval and storage.
• Waste Treatment Plant Division for vitrification oversight.
• Environmental Compliance Division for regulatory adherence.

List of programs

• Tank Waste Retrieval and Closure
• Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Operations
• Environmental Monitoring and Compliance

Last total enacted budget

The last enacted budget for ORP was $1.6 billion for FY 2024, as part of DOE’s environmental management funding.

Staff

ORP’s workforce of about 2600 includes federal managers, engineers, scientists, and support staff, alongside thousands more contractor employees working on tank waste management and WTP construction.

Funding

Since its establishment in 1998, ORP has been funded through DOE’s annual appropriations, with FY 2024 at $1.6 billion, supporting its tank waste cleanup mission and WTP development.

Services provided

The Office of River Protection manages the retrieval and treatment of Hanford’s tank waste, oversees the construction and operation of the Waste Treatment Plant, ensures compliance with environmental regulations, and engages with the community to mitigate risks to the Columbia River.

Regulations overseen

ORP does not directly oversee regulations but ensures compliance with environmental and safety standards under DOE orders and federal laws like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Headquarters address

2440 Stevens Center Place, Richland, WA 99354

History

The Office of River Protection was established in 1998 as a DOE field office to address the urgent need to clean up Hanford’s 56 million gallons of tank waste, a legacy of WWII and Cold War plutonium production, with its mission formalized under the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 and driven by environmental and public safety priorities.

External links

• Official Website
• wikipedia:Hanford Site
• EM Overview