KENNEWICK -- Trump's nominee for energy secretary called finishing the environmental cleanup at the Hanford nuclear site in Eastern Washington critical when he was questioned at a Senate hearing Wednesday.

'"Hanford gave a lot to this country and we ... left a mess and that needs to be cleaned up," he told Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources nomination hearing.

Nominee Chris Wright also praised national laboratories, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, saying the United States must lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs.

Together Hanford and PNNL have annual budgets of more than $4.5 billion, contributing significantly to the Tri-Cities area economy.