2nd Hanford worker has coronavirus. More cleaning being done

A second Hanford employee has tested positive for COVID-19 after being at the site most recently on April 9.

The worker’s office at a Hanford fire station near the reactors that line the Columbia River was being cleaned, workers at Mission Support Alliance were told in a message on Saturday.

The office had been disinfected by Monday.

Mission Support Alliance is the Hanford contractor providing support services across the nuclear reservation, including fire fighting and prevention.

“Our ongoing, enhanced cleaning protocols continue across the site per CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines,” said Bob Wilkinson, the contractor president, and Amy Basche, the contractor chief operations officer, in a message to employees.

The Benton Franklin Health District will determine who the ill employee may have exposed to the new coronavirus and contact them.

Last week an employee of the Hanford tank farm contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, tested positive for COVID-19 but had not been at the site since March 17.

This is the fifth week that only essential work is being done at the 580-square-mile site to protect workers, the public and the environment.

About 10 to 15 percent of Hanford’s 11,000 workers continue to report to the site. About 60 percent of workers are telecommuting to support on-site activities.

Nearly all Hanford workers are getting paid for 40 hours a week, after Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., made provisions for federal contracts to be revised in the economic stimulus bill signed by President Trump last month.