Oregon Public Broadcasting

President Obama's freshly released budget proposes to increase spending at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation by about $39 million.

That's a small bump compared to Hanford's annual budget of about $2 billion and a federal stimulus spending of another $2 billion.

Gary Petersen keeps tabs on the U.S. Department of Energy for the Tri-City Development Council.

Gary Petersen: "To maintain almost a flat budget for DOE environmental management is a very positive statement when other budgets are being trimmed. So I look at this as a very positive thing."

The slight increase in Hanford's budget now goes to Congress.

Much of the $39 million increase would go to speeding up the design and engineering of Hanford's massive vitrification  plant.

That's the facility now being constructed to treat millions of gallons of radioactive sludge.