Critics Decry Proposed Cuts In Hanford Nuclear Cleanup Plan

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Advocates for cleaning up a former nuclear weapons production site in Washington state are outraged that the Trump administration is proposing a $700 million budget cut next year.

The proposal released Monday by President Donald Trump called for cutting the annual Hanford cleanup budget from about $2.5 billion to about $1.8 billion.

Such a budget cut is almost certain to delay the cleanup, which is on a legally-enforced schedule.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, located near Richland, Washington, was created as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II as the nation raced to create nuclear weapons.