Key leader for Hanford nuclear reservation regulator leaving job

The Washington state Department of Ecology, a Hanford site regulator, is looking for a new leader for its Nuclear Waste Program based in the Tri-Cities.

Program manager Alex Smith has resigned effective the end of October, after leading the program since spring 2016.

“I wasn’t looking to make a change,” Smith said. “But an opportunity came to me that in many ways is a professional and personal dream job — as a deputy supervisor for aquatics with the Department of Natural Resources.”

She said it was a difficult decision, because the Nuclear Waste Program is in the midst of important work, both in its regulatory responsibilities for the Hanford nuclear reservation cleanup, and on its internal organization.

The Department of Ecology’s regulatory role includes making sure that state environmental regulations are met at the Hanford vitrification plant and the underground tanks holding 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste.

State officials are hoping to fill the position before she leaves.

This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.