Washington State Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste Program: Greetings from David Bowen, Ecology’s new Hanford program manager
As the new manager for the state of Washington’s office that oversees Hanford cleanup, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and interact with a cross-section of community and U.S. Department of Energy leaders. I welcome this chance to introduce myself to the broader community. I know that the Tri-Cities and surrounding region have keen interest and much at stake in the vital work at Hanford.
Although I’ve only been Nuclear Waste program manager since December, I’m not new to this area. I’ve been part of the regional community, part of its economy and sharing its concerns most of my life – more than 50 years. My regional roots as a resident of Central Washington include a diverse background of economic development, involvement in the corporate community, business ownership and government relations. In addition, I served seven years as a countywide elected official, including as a Kittitas County commissioner.
From age 15, I helped my grandmother with her cattle and such chores as harvesting hay — right up until she finally took a well-deserved retirement in 2004. My wife and I raised our family here and I’ve been involved in many of the same activities that other residents of this area enjoy, including raising horses, riding motorcycles, restoring vintage cars and more.
That rural upbringing, many positive role models and broad work experience have served me well at Ecology since I came to the agency five years ago as the Water Quality Section Manager in the Union Gap office. That office provides service to seven central Washington counties: Benton, Yakima, Klickitat, Kittitas, Chelan, Douglas and Okanagan. I learned a lot about permit writing — one of the Nuclear Waste Program’s chief duties — and brought my diverse perspective to a team that was focused both on technical assistance and on helping people change their operations to serve their needs while also protecting the environment.
I officially started as Nuclear Waste Program Manager on Dec. 16, 2020, but I was drawn into the Hanford universe almost immediately after I was offered the job in mid-November. I’ve been working to understand everything Hanford ever since.
Coming in, I knew it was a complex project with different points of view both within and outside the local community, and different priorities for how best to accomplish the cleanup. The Department of Energy gave me a tour of Hanford earlier this year, and that has been invaluable in providing perspective and context for the volumes of information I’ve been learning by reading, listening and participating in briefings from inside and outside the Nuclear Waste Program.
As my role is taking shape, things look much as I expected. There is a mix of policy, legislative activity and relationship building similar to what I experienced as a county commissioner. The permitting/technical assistance mirrors the role I had in Water Quality.
And, as with most situations, relationships are key. They need continuous attention and there’s always room for improvement.
Some tension is normal between a regulator and a permittee. My commitment is to work to keep that tension healthy while also delivering overall public confidence in the results. Relationships — with the community and with Energy and its contractors — are at the top of my list of priorities.
Looking to the year ahead, new Ecology leadership both in Richland and in Olympia provides the chance for a reset and a fresh look at some of Hanford’s more challenging issues. Relatively new leadership within the Department of Energy offers similar opportunities as it transitions its mission from construction to treatment and works to reduce life-cycle costs. At the Nuclear Waste Program, we’re working to fill vacant positions in an ongoing effort to be responsive, proactive and to support Hanford progress.
It is a great time to become part of the Hanford mission as the Direct Feed Low Activity Waste facilities come on line and begin to treat the waste in the site’s underground tanks; as work continues to demolish and properly dispose of hundreds of buildings; and as pump and treat continues to successfully remove contaminants from billions of gallons of Hanford groundwater on an annual basis.
In every conversation I’ve had at every level, I’ve seen dedication to a shared goal of a successful, efficient and safe cleanup at Hanford. The issues arise in different visions of how best to accomplish that.
I hope, and pledge to work hard, to bridge those gaps, find common ground and address the larger issues one by one. We can’t fix it if we don’t talk about it.
As I continue to learn more about Hanford and the relationships that are important to its future, I’m open to discussion with and eager to hear perspectives from anyone who would like to share with me.
I’m grateful for the warm welcome I’ve received, and I’m looking forward to working through Hanford’s many challenges and opportunities.
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 12:14 AM with the headline "Washington State Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste Program: Greetings from David Bowen, Ecology’s new Hanford program manager."