"This is a major step towards meeting our commitment to the people of the State of Washington to treat waste now stored in underground tanks at Hanford," Richardson said. "By selecting a new contractor more than one month ahead of schedule, the department has maintained momentum on this critical project."

The contract is valued at approximately $4 billion over a 10 year period. More than 53 million gallons of highly radioactive tank waste are stored in aging underground tanks at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. The tank waste, a byproduct of plutonium production for World War II and Cold War defense purposes, will be vitrified (turned to glass) as an inert waste form.

Bechtel-Washington will locate its project team in Richland, Washington. Bechtel, based in San Francisco, California, teamed with Washington Group International, Inc., based in Aiken, South Carolina, will perform the contract.