Internships Build Workforce to Support Hanford Cleanup

Santos Gallegos and Ileanna Meyer are two of the current nuclear chemical operators taking part in training at a facility near the Hanford Site in Washington state.

RICHLAND, Wash. — Internships at the Hanford Site are giving local students a chance to gain valuable skills and start their careers while helping support the cleanup of one of the nation’s most complex environmental projects.

Two recent interns with contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) are now employees undergoing nuclear chemical operator (NCO) training.

Ileanna Meyer grew up in Tri-Cities, Washington, and recently completed her associate’s degree in nuclear radiation protection at Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco. She joined H2C as a summer intern, working full-time as she completed the requirements for her degree.

“I started out working under Human Performance Improvement and Conduct of Operations,” said Meyer. “The internship helped me build a strong foundation, allowing me to learn skills like identifying and avoiding potential precursors to errors and how to communicate effectively with co-workers and management.”

Ileanna Meyer, left, and Santos Gallegos were recently hired by contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure after they completed college programs and participated in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor’s internship programs.

The partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management, Hanford Site contractors, CBC and Washington State University’s Tri-Cities campus provides training and internship opportunities that prepare students for critical cleanup roles. The program helps ensure Hanford has qualified operators who understand the importance of safety, consistency and disciplined operations.

Another local graduate, Santos Gallegos, switched careers after earning his certification at CBC.

“One hundred percent, it was a great move,” said Gallegos, who completed the certification program over the summer and landed the full-time H2C job following the co-op internship. “I’m looking forward to completing NCO training and putting everything I’ve learned into practice.”

More than 130 college students participated in summer internships at the Hanford Site in 2025, filling temporary roles while learning about career opportunities that support the tank waste cleanup mission.

Internships play a vital role in preparing the next generation of workers who will carry out the Hanford cleanup mission,” said Mat Irwin, assistant manager for Tank Waste Operations at the Hanford Field Office.

“These opportunities help students understand the significance of their work while giving our teams a chance to develop the talent needed to reduce risks, maintain safe operations and support progress across the Hanford Site,” Irwin said.