– Edited By Chris Reed –
Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has received final approval for construction of a rail spur at the Perma-Fix Northwest Facility (PFNW) adjacent to the Hanford nuclear site in Richland, Washington. The rail spur is expected to be completed in early 2011 and will facilitate the movement of radioactive wastes directly into the facility, thereby minimizing any health risk to the local community.
The PFNW Facility is a radioactive waste treatment facility that supports cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site, nuclear power utilities, national laboratories, and research facilities.
Richard Grondin, Vice President and General Manager of PFNW, stated, "Perma-Fix is gratified by gaining State of Washington approval to construct the rail spur, which is a perfect example of a private company/public sector partnership. Perma-Fix will provide funds to construct this rail spur and has worked closely with the Washington Department of Ecology, the City of Richland, and the Tri-City and Olympia Railroad to design and begin construction. This effort has taken several months to get underway, and will tie in the rail line located within the Horn Rapids Industrial Park that is owned by the City of Richland directly into our facility."
Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Perma-Fix is dedicated to the long term financial investment in the Tri-Cities area, and thus we continue to make capital investments in our PFNW Facility. We believe these investments not only provide needed local community support, but also support DOE's mission to clean up its largest Environmental Management site. Hanford cleanup is critical to protection of the environment and the Columbia River and we are proud to be a part of DOE's effort for this important work. Perma-Fix has built its business on designing innovative treatment capabilities for our nation's most challenging radioactive waste streams, and we look forward to providing enhanced transportation capabilities that will also support cleanup from around the nation."