Concerning the safe management of radioactive waste and cleanup of hazardous substance releases into the environment.

HB 2634 addresses the cleanup of a leaking radioactive waste landfill at Hanford, which is contaminating soil and groundwater flowing toward the Columbia River. The bill requires waste generators and nuclear reactor operators to cover investigation and cleanup costs (not state taxpayers) and prohibits adding new waste until the site is fully remediated. It mandates future disposal facilities in Washington must include liners and environmental safeguards, and requires tribal input in setting cleanup standards for sites affecting treaty rights of the Yakama Nation and Umatilla Indian Reservation. The law also establishes that cleanup levels must protect human health and tribal resources using tribal-approved exposure scenarios.