Russians visit Washington's Hanford nuclear site

A group of Russians is getting a firsthand look at U.S. efforts to clean up nuclear waste at the highly contaminated Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state.

The visitors represent the regulatory body of the Russian Nuclear Complex, which faces similar challenges cleaning up nuclear and chemical waste.

The U.S. Department of Energy says the visitors toured several areas Thursday, including a mock waste tank. Some 53 million gallons of highly radioactive waste are stored in 177 aging, underground tanks at Hanford, and emptying the tanks and disposing of the waste are top priorities at the site.

The visit marked the second time in four years that a group of Russians has visited Hanford.

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