DOE, Wash. State Extend Discussions on Consent Decree Changes

Washington state and federal officials will continue to discuss changes to the Hanford court-enforced consent decree, rather than taking the matter back to court. The initial 40-day dispute resolution period expired June 2, which allowed either the state or the Department of Energy to ask a federal judge to intervene. Now the state and federal governments have agreed not to seek court involvement until after June 27.

But if the state’s goals cannot be reached through mutual agreement, the state remains prepared to take the matter back to court, said state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The state requires a plan that “provides specificity, accountability and enforceability,” he said. Negotiators will meet at least once more in person for a full day to more fully explore whether an agreement can be reached on a path forward, Ferguson and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Wednesday. The discussions to date have been productive and DOE is pleased that discussions will continue, DOE said in a statement.