The Hanford Site is now immobilizing radioactive waste in glass: a process known as vitrification. PNNL contributed 60 years of materials science expertise—and is providing operational support—to help the nation meet this cleanup milestone.

PNNL researchers continue to deliver high-quality, high-impact research on radioactive waste and nuclear materials management, earning “Papers of Note” and “Superior Paper” awards.

PNNL researchers showcased subsurface sampling and remediation expertise at the 2025 Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable.

RemPlex and IAEA convene international leaders to tackle recruitment and retention in complex environmental cleanup efforts.

Led by interns from multiple DOE programs, a newly expanded dataset allows researchers to use easy-to-obtain measurements to determine the elemental composition of a promising carbon storage mineral.

A multi-institutional team of researchers systematically compared extraction techniques for characterizing plant litter composition that relies on organic matter extraction.

New methodology can evaluate the potential for carbon storage and critical mineral recovery in undercharacterized geological settings.

A new database allows researchers to connect lattice parameters and composition in olivine.

Research identifies the mechanisms through which peptoids affect ions in solution and a mineral surface, increasing the rate of carbonate crystal growth.

The first tidal turbine deployed in the Pacific Northwest at PNNL-Sequim showcases the Lab’s growing role as a regional center for marine energy research.

The 2024 State of the Science Report on environmental effects of marine renewable energy research has been released.

PNNL researchers earned five Papers of Note, 17 Superior Papers, and one poster award for their environmental remediation, radioactive waste, and nuclear energy-related presentations.

Dedication of the new hybrid-electric research vessel, the RV Resilience, was celebrated by laboratory, state and federal officials.

Data from SOSAT web tool informs site selection and management for the subsurface injection of captured carbon dioxide.

PNNL undergraduate intern Madeline Bartels leads research to verify and quantify carbon mineralization at an unprecedented small scale.

Frederick Day-Lewis, Lab Fellow and chief geophysicist at PNNL, was named the 2024 recipient of the Geological Society of America Public Service Award.

A PNNL Deep Vadose Zone Program publication that shows ferrihydrite helps protect groundwater is featured on the cover of ACS Earth and Space Chemistry.

Data scientist at PNNL receives the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society and Geonics Limited Early Career Award for work with geophysical modeling and subsurface inversion codes.

The Deep Vadose Zone program leads a treatability study for subsurface remediation of the Hanford Site’s Central Plateau.

Researchers are developing and deploying solutions to reduce risk and increase efficiency while keeping people and the environment safe.