Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) delivers exceptional performance in safely removing, treating, and disposing of tank waste. H2C leads the nation’s largest and most complex radioactive waste cleanup, including closure of the legacy waste tanks at Hanford containing 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste.
Joining H2C means becoming part of a team dedicated to creating “The Solution Today for a Better Tomorrow.” At H2C, our culture is deeply rooted in our Vision, Mission, Values, and Behaviors, which guide our efforts on the Hanford Site and within our communities. Our vision to tackle the Department of Energy’s largest environmental challenge reflects our commitment to leaving a positive legacy for future generations. We strive to deliver exceptional performance in safely removing, treating, and disposing of tank waste. Our values emphasize living safely, acting with integrity, and working collaboratively as a team. We encourage innovation, personal accountability, and continuous improvement, fostering an environment where everyone is empowered to contribute to our mission and celebrate our achievements. By embracing these principles, you will be part of a forward-thinking organization dedicated to making a meaningful impact today and for the future.
The Summer Internship Program at Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) provides professional development opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience on the Hanford Site, located in Southeastern Washington state. Hanford was established to produce the world’s first atomic bomb in the Second World War and continued producing plutonium for the Cold War efforts from 1945 to 1991. H2C’s mission is to safely handle the byproduct of this massive operation, to ensure a clean environment for future generations.
Summer Internships are paid and are 10 to 12 weeks in duration. Interns must hire and onboard no later than June 22, 2026. The work location is Richland, WA, either in town or on the Hanford site (30 miles away). Housing and transportation are not provided. Lodging and transportation recommendations for the Tri-Cities will be provided upon request.
Environmental Intern opportunities are available in support of Environmental, Safety, Health and Quality (ESH&Q) and may include the following fields of study, Environmental Science, Science, Health Physics, Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health and Safety, and Quality Assurance. Selected Interns will partner with Subject Matter Experts (SME), mentors and other staff in the following ESH&Q organizations including, but not limited to:
Environmental Protection
Developing regulatory strategies to support the Integrated Tank Disposition Contractor (ITDC) mission, integrating regulatory activities within the ITDC, performing cross-cutting environmental functions, providing environmental resources and services to the Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), managing regulatory and Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) commitments and negotiations with the client and regulators, coordinating with corporate environmental programs, conducting Performance Assessments, and representing ITDC in site-wide strategic initiatives.
Industrial Safety
Interpreting authority for industrial safety, occupational medicine, fire protection, case management, and other safety and health programs.
Security & Emergency Services
Ensuring compliance with safeguards/security requirements and emergency preparedness. In addition, the team trains an Emergency Response Organization at each facility to respond to emergency events that could occur. They develop and maintain emergency response procedures, plans, hazard assessments, and conduct Emergency Preparedness drills to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to ensure the emergency readiness of each facility.
Radiological Controls
Managing the Radiological Control program, including safety related performance measures and indicators, policies and procedures, radiation protection program, as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) program and reporting, ionizing radiation dosimetry and instrumentation services.
Industrial Hygiene
Development and management of the asbestos, beryllium, thermal stress, monitoring/sampling, assessment oversight, Safety and Health training, indoor air quality, occupational noise, professional development, chemical exposure assessment & management and the ergonomic programs.
Quality Assurance
Ensuring project success and improvement through independent assessment, surveillance, and inspection, as well as, assisting project personnel to successfully implement the Quality Assurance Program Description (QAPD). Implementation of the QAPD is essential for ITDC to successfully carry out the mission of safely storing tank waste and reducing the risk it poses to the environment until it can be prepared for disposal. Software Quality Assurance (QA) is a means of monitoring the software engineering processes and methods used to ensure proper quality. Software QA Engineers perform oversight of the software life cycle, including planning, design, and testing of software.
Specific project scope will be identified in interviews.