What the federal shutdown could mean to Tri-Cities — from Hanford to hungry kids

The state of Washington is home to nearly 80,000 federal workers, many of them likely worried about their paychecks and jobs after the federal government shutdown began Wednesday.

Some of them likely will be furloughed, temporarily laid off or forced to work without pay during a shutdown, said Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.

Some federal services also may not be available to residents of Washington and other states.

But initially work continued as usual at some federal workplaces in the Tri-Cities area, as workers waited to see how long that might last if the shutdown drags on.

13,000 Hanford nuclear site workers

Work appeared to proceed as usual at the Hanford nuclear site on the first days of the 2025 federal government shutdown.

The Department of Energy made public only an overall plan of fewer than 1,000 words for the entire DOE workforce. No information specific to Hanford was released.

The nationwide DOE contingency plan said that workers in federal offices which have money unspent from prior years should continue to work as usual as long as that money lasts.

The plan said that DOE historically has had funds to support operations for a lapse of one to five days without interruptions. However, in past shutdowns Hanford has had enough money available to continue work well past five days.

A prolonged shutdown, however, would require furloughs. Those doing work related to the safety of human life and protection of property would continue to work. Some contracting officers who can modify contracts also could continue to work, the plan said.

And even if funds have not been exhausted, operations could be modified, the plan said. That includes curtailing travel.

The total employment at Hanford is about 13,000, with most of those people working for contractors paid with federal dollars rather than working directly for the federal government.

About 300 employees worked directly for DOE as federal employees at the start of the year, although there have been layoffs since then.

The DOE contingency plan said performance of contracts should continue under the shutdown. But there are factors — such as the length of government shutdown and the availability of funding left from prior years — that could cause contractor activities to be curtailed, it said.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates Hanford from an office in the Tri-Cities, also faces potential furloughs. About 90% of EPA employees nationwide could be furloughed, according to EPA’s contingency plan.

The 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear site in Eastern Washington adjacent to Richland was used from World War II through the Cold War to produce nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program.

Now about $3 billion a year is spent there on environmental cleanup.

In the next two weeks, DOE is required under a federal court order to begin turning stored radioactive and hazardous chemical waste into a stable glass form at the vitrification plant where construction started 22 years ago.

Food help for moms, kids

The Washington state Department of Health is warning that a program that provides healthy food and nutrition support to more than 212,000 Washington residents annually is at risk.

Existing federal funds may be able to continue benefits for about two weeks before the state Women, Infants and Children program, or WIC, would have to be closed, should the federal government shutdown continue, according to the state Department of Health.

The closure could come sooner if WIC use increases, it said.

For now, families using WIC are encouraged to continue using their benefits, go to their scheduled appointments and access program services as usual.

Washington WIC serves nearly a third of all babies born in the state, as well as 36% of children under age 5 and 29% of pregnant people.

The program provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health screenings and referrals. It has 208 offices across the state and employs more than 650 people.

The Washington state Department of Health will temporarily lay off or reduce the work hours of about 50 employees starting Monday due to the federal government shutdown.

Most of those workers are now in the Office of Nutrition Services in positions at least partially paid for with federal money.

Tri-Cities airport operating

The Tri-Cities Airport is operating normally, according to Buck Taft, who manages the Port of Pasco-owned airport.

FAA and TSA workers are considered essential and are required to report to work.

Based on previous shutdowns, workers will not get a paycheck until the shutdown is resolved. Tri-Cities businesses in the past have supported unpaid workers with financial and other assistance.

K-12 schools, colleges and univerisites

Classes at local K-12 schools, colleges and universities will continue uninterrupted, though there could be some pains felt if the closure extends from days to week.

Public schools reliant on federal dollars to help migrant students, train teachers and provide after-school programs will be cushioned by previous infusions. Title I funds for impoverished schools and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act grants will continue to flow.

Nearly 90% of workers at the U.S. Department of Education have been furloughed. That means new grantmaking and investigations by its Office for Civil Rights are likely to come to a halt during the shutdown.

Students attending the nation’s colleges — including the nearly 10,000 at WSU Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College — will continue to receive regular student aid and loans, and their financial aid offices will remain open.

The department will also continue to process those Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. The application opened last week for students looking to attend fall 2026 classes.

WA’s 2 GOP congressmen decline salary

Washington state’s two Republican congressmen say they’ll decline a salary throughout the time the federal government is shutdown.

“As federal employees in D.C. and across Central Washington are furloughed or prepare to work without pay, I’ve requested, as I have in previous shutdowns, that my pay be held for the duration of the shutdown,” Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, said in a statement.

“Senate Democrats have voted to shutdown the government, which will furlough federal employees and pause their pay over partisan politics. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more pain it will inflict on taxpayers,” Newhouse continued.

Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, also laid the blame on Democrats. He says he’ll defer his pay until members of the U.S. armed forces are paid.

The shutdown could delay future pay for active-duty service members, who normally get a paycheck on the 1st and 15th of the month.

“It is unacceptable that the men and women who wear the uniform and stand guard for our freedoms should ever have their pay withheld because of dysfunction in Washington, D.C. I will continue working to restore government funding responsibly and ensure our service members receive the support they have earned,” he said in a statement.

Eastern WA ag & food inspection

The shutdown should not impact key inspection programs involving Washington agricultural.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is responsible for meat and dairy inspections and said they will continue uninterrupted.

However, Newhouse said in an op-ed distributed to news media in his district that farmers and ranchers in the Methow and Yakima valleys would lose access to Farm Service Agency employees due to furloughs.

In addition, money for agriculture research grants through the Agriculture Research Service, which the Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center relies on, could be paused indefinitely, he said.

For small businesses in the Tri-Cities, a government shutdown would mean a stop on new small business loans and investments, according to Newhouse.

Veterans Affairs services

VA medical centers, outpatient clinics and vet centers will continue to be open and provide all services, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It estimates that 97% of VA employees will continue to work during a shutdown.

VA benefits will continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits. Suicide prevention programs, homelessness services and caregiver support will continue.

VA’s primary call center (1-800-MyVA411) and the Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, Press 1) will remain open around the clock. The VA Benefit Hotline (1-800-827-1000) will be available Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

However, transition program assistance and career counseling will not be available. The GI Bill and National Cemetery Application Assistance hotlines will be closed.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 6:38 PM.