Geimer appointed DOE’s new Hanford Site manager

The Department of Energy has turned to an executive with a contractor running an analysis laboratory to become the next manager of its Hanford Site in Richland, Wash.

Ray Geimer, who manages Hanford’s 222-S laboratory for contractor Navarro-ATL, and will take over as the new permanent Hanford Site manager effective Sept. 7, DOE said this week. The 222-S lab analyzes highly-radioactive wastes samples for the site.

Geimer fills the opening created for a permanent manager created when longtime Hanford chief Brian Vance resigned from the department in April. Vance subsequently took an executive role  ith the Framatome nuclear fuel plant in Richland.

DOE’s acting manager Brian Harkins, who has run daily operations since Vance resigned, is staying on as Hanford’s deputy manager. 

“I’m pleased to share with you that Ray Geimer has been selected to serve as the permanent Hanford site manager,”  Harkins said in a memo to Hanford staff. “I look forward to working alongside Ray. ”

Geimer has at least 40 years of experience in DOE cleanup projects. This includes more than 10 years at Hanford, according to his LinkedIn bio.  Prior to running 222-S, Geimer was in charge of removing radioactive sludge from two spent fuel basins serving the defunct K East and K West reactors at the former plutonium production complex.

Before moving to Hanford, Geimer worked at DOE cleanup projects at Idaho National Laboratory, the West Valley Demonstration Project in  New York and the Rocky Flats plant in Colorado. He also has a master’s degree in chemical engineering.

In a Wednesday memo to Hanford staff, Roger Jarrell, DOE’s principal deputy assistant secretary praised Geimer’s appointment. “Ray brings a wealth of experience to the Hanford leadership team with over four decades of service with DOE, including extensive expertise in nuclear facility construction, nuclear facility operations, deactivation and decommissioning (D&D), engineering and large-scale project management,” Jarrell said.   

Hanford has roughly 13,000 workers, mostly contractors, with its latest annual budget being roughly $3 billion.