Six workers who oversee Hanford lose jobs over vaccine mandate

KENNEWICK — All but seven of the first 200 Hanford nuclear reservation employees required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are either fully vaccinated or have been granted an exemption.

In addition, six employees of a Hanford regulator did not comply with the Washington state vaccine mandate by Monday and lost their jobs with the state Tuesday.

Monday was the first vaccine mandate deadline that affected Hanford workers, but most of approximately 11,000 workers face a vaccine mandate by Dec. 8 at the latest.

The first round of Hanford employees fell under a Washington state mandate issued by Gov. Jay Inslee, even though they work on a federal project.

Most health care workers in Washington were required to be fully vaccinated by Monday, or have an approved religious or medical exemption.

The state requirement covered 112 employees of the Hanford Fire Department, who work for Department of Energy contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions.

The state mandate covers firefighters who perform medical functions, such as when they act as a paramedic or emergency medical technician.

All 112 Hanford firefighters provided proof of vaccination or were given an exemption, according to Hanford Mission Integration Solutions.

In addition, about 100 employees of the Hanford occupational medical services provider, HPMC, were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received an exemption by the Monday deadline.

HPMC reported that seven employees had not complied as of a tally released Monday afternoon and would be placed on leave Tuesday. They have the option of taking personal leave.

The contractor is taking progressive disciplinary actions up to and including leave without pay, HPMC said in a statement.

Hanford officials have declined to say how many employees there have been vaccinated to date.

The next group of Hanford workers who must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are federal employees working directly for DOE. They have a deadline of Nov. 22 set by the Biden administration.

Contractor and subcontractor employees at the site, which make up the majority of the workforce, have until Dec. 8 under the Biden administration’s mandate.

Department of Ecology

Employees for the Washington state Department of Ecology, a Hanford site regulator, also were required to be fully vaccinated or have an exemption approved by Monday.

Inslee’s vaccine mandate includes state government employees.

Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program office based in the Tri-Cities employs 86 people, with 80 complying with the state vaccine requirements.

The six who did not meet the state requirements lost their jobs, according to Ecology officials.

TNS