Earthquake Hazard in Washington to Be Studied

The federal government is going to take another look at the potential earthquake hazard at Hanford in Washington.

The seismic assessment will update the Department of Energy’s last comprehensive analysis in 1996.

The Tri-City Herald reported new understanding of seismic faults in the Pacific Northwest will inform the new assessment.

The largest earthquake recorded in the region was a magnitude-5.7 earthquake 72 miles from Hanford at Milton-Freewater in 1936. That’s according to data collected for the design of the Hanford vitrification plant.

Eastern Washington also was hit by an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 in 1872 near Lake Chelan.