Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Council
History & Accomplishments

The first organizational meeting for the NRTC was held in Richland, WA, April 9, 1993, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Energy - Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). The Council was formed later that year by the State of Washington, State of Oregon, DOE-RL, U. S. Department of the Interior (currently represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, and the Yakama Indian Nation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a statutory trustee and began to participate intermittently with the Council in 1997. See Members for Trustee Council members and representatives.

The Trustee Council operates by consensus and progress over the years has been careful and deliberate. Each Trustee represents a number of constituencies encompassing many interests. Trustee organizations have diverse roles. For instance, USDOE is both a Trustee and the response agency and Washington is both a Trustee and a regulator. Reaching consensus on guiding documents, principles, and actions takes considerable time and effort.

Trustees approved a Memorandum of Agreement in 1996. Bylaws were approved in 1997. The Trustees pursue good working relationships and early involvement in decision-making. The Council is a dynamic assembly of agencies, Tribal Nations, and individuals who are committed advocates for the land, the unique Hanford habitat, and the Columbia River.

Trustees deal with a long list of issues. In past years the Trustees focused much of their effort on the Ecological Risk Assessments being conducted on the Hanford Site, such as those associated with the Central Plateau cleanup, the River Corridor Closure Project and the Groundwater Project. Each has important actions that incorporate the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Natural Resource Trustee Council in its role as an advisory group. The Trustees attend workshops sponsored by these projects. The workload and deadlines can often out pace the resources of the individual trust organizations and the members of the Council. In April 2007, the Trustees agreed to also support work on the CERCLA Assessment Plan Phase (Natural Resource Damage Assessment - NRDA).

Along with the task of keeping abreast of the various risk assessments and related NRD actions the Trustees are also concerned about selecting appropriate reference sites and background values for the Hanford Site, establishing a reliable source of native seed and plants for restoration actions, and the effect of chromium and other contaminants in the groundwater on the Columbia River, salmon, eels, and humans. The Trustees must be very sure of their decisions as they are legally responsible to their respective constituents to protect, remediate, or replace lost or injured resources and services.