Threads through time at Hanford: A conversation with Amie Green

In this edition of Behind the Scenes at the Nuclear Waste Program, we sat down with Amie Green, our program's Single-Shell Tanks Project Manager.

A day in the life

Amie has been a part of our Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) team since 2022! Just recently, she accepted a new role with the program as the project manager for single-shell tanks. This position entails taking a lead role in regulatory oversight of the Hanford Site's 149 underground single-shell tanks that store millions of gallons of waste.

Prior to this new position, Amie worked as the Hanford Sitewide Permit Revision 9 permit coordinator.

"Working with difficult decisions is a challenge. We are down to the last few issues in the Hanford Sitewide Permit renewal, which are very complicated, so we need to make sure that everything is done correctly," Amie said.

As the single-shell tank project manager, Amie uses her knowledge on permitting in reviewing the documents that are required to be submitted for the tanks.

On a regular day Amie meets with the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, deals with Tri-Party Agreement milestones, and reviews tank waste retrieval paperwork.

Amie loves working with all the people on the program who she said are the doers of amazing things, the ones making history!

"Knowing I am making a difference in getting the Hanford Site cleaned up brings me joy and pride," Amie said.

Another aspect that Amie appreciates at Ecology is the diversity that NWP promotes when hiring people from different cultures, backgrounds, and nationalities.

Strong links to Hanford

Amie's ties to Hanford date all the way back to when the world's first plutonium production nuclear reactor, the B Reactor, was under construction.

Her grandfather was a pipefitter who worked on the construction of the B Reactor back in 1943. His job involved running all the piping inside the facility.

When Amie did a tour of B Reactor many years later, she found a picture of her grandfather at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park!

Amie first started working in the world of Hanford in 1993, working for several different site contractors over the years. Some of these roles included being an administrator, drafter, designer, project coordinator, and scientific technician.

Fast forward to 2022, she came to work for NWP as a permit coordinator. She held that position for a little over three years before her current role.

Special accomplishments

Before working for Ecology, Amie gained experience as a project coordinator and as an acting project manager working for the private sector. These jobs were crucial in Amie's career development, which ultimately led to her employment with Ecology.

Graduating from college in 2017 has been one of Amie's biggest accomplishments.

"Working full-time, attending college part-time, and raising a family was challenging but was a wonderful personal achievement," Amie said.

Amie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and has a project management certification.

She knew her efforts paid off even more when she was told she had made the Dean's List. When graduation day arrived, she and her whole family attended the Western Governors University ceremony in Seattle and Amie walked to get her degree with all her classmates.

"It was a very special day," Amie said.

For the future generations

Amie said her jobs at NWP have helped her grow as a professional, building her confidence. She said she also appreciates working alongside her peers and managers. Amie's message for future generations is something she always tells her kids.

"If it's something that you feel like you want to do and it's something that you are excited about, then it won't feel like a job," Amie said.

That's how Ecology has been for her. She enjoys her job very much and she likes all her co-workers.

"This is where I'll be until I retire," Amie said.