Gov. Chris Gregoire is heading to Washington, D.C. next week for a meeting with the Council of Governors and Army Lt. Gen. Frank Grass at the Pentagon to discuss National Guard issues.

Gregoire, who is co-chair of the council, leaves on Monday for the Tuesday meeting, according to her spokesman, Cory Curtis. Curtis said that the meeting was to continue ongoing discussions about the states' National Guard and their coordination with the federal government.

Also Tuesday, Gregoire was to meet with Energy Secretary Steven Chu to discuss plans to deal with a leak at a large, double-walled tank of waste at Hanford, the nation's most contaminated nuclear site.

Gregoire returns to the state on Tuesday night.