Sen. Patty Murray met with Ernest Moniz, the nominee for energy secretary, Wednesday and discussed Hanford and other issues that require strong leadership from the Department of Energy.

"First and foremost, we discussed the most pressing environmental cleanup issue in Washington state and our region: nuclear waste cleanup at the Hanford site," she said in a statement.

"We walked through our existing federal obligations and discussed the importance of developing a comprehensive, long-term plan to treat the dangerous waste within limited federal resources.

Fellow Democrat and new Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has said that the state will not tolerate delays in addressing underground tanks leaking radioactive waste because of lack of federal money.

Murray also discussed with Moniz the vital role that the Bonneville Power Administration plays to meet the energy demands of the Northwest and the importance of a productive working relationship between the Pacific Northwest delegation and federal energy officials.

She said the meeting was productive.