Hanford’s largest groundwater treatment plant, the 200 West Pump and Treat Facility, removes tons of chemical and radioactive contaminants from more than 2 billion gallons of groundwater each year. Photo: DOE/OEM

Fiscal year 2020 marks the sixth consecutive year that the Hanford Site, in southeastern Washington State, has treated more than 2 billion gallons of groundwater to remove contamination from decades of past operations to produce plutonium for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The goal this fiscal year, which ends September 30, is to treat at least 2.4 billion gallons, the Department of Energy reported on September 8.

The European Commission released a plan for rejuvenating Europe’s pandemic-damaged economy, including a green energy program that calls for “rolling out renewable energy projects, especially wind [and] solar, and kick-starting a clean hydrogen economy.” No mention was made of nuclear energy, however, an omission for which the commission was taken to task that same day by Foratom, the Brussels-based trade association for the European nuclear energy industry.

According to the federal government, certain critical infrastructure industries have a special responsibility during the coronavirus pandemic to continue operations, including the nuclear power industry.