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Establishing the Hanford Site
o The U.S. government selects the Hanford area in Washington State for the Manhattan Project and construction begins
o Their goal was to produce plutonium for atomic bombs.
o The Hanford site employed over 51,000 people -
The B Reactor
o Construction of the first production reactors begins, the B Reactor
o This was the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor ever built
o Was a key component in the Manhattan Project, which was the United States nuclear weapons development program during World War 2 -
Plutonium
o The first plutonium produced at Hanford is used in the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
o The plutonium was extracted from the reactors and chemically treated in separation plants. The purified plutonium was then formed into disks and shipped to other nuclear facilities
o Hanford produced nearly two-thirds of the plutonium used in the US nuclear weapons stockpile -
Atomic Energy Commission
o In 1946 the Hanford site was removed from military control, and General Electric replaced DuPont as primary contractor
o In 1947 the site then came under jurisdiction of the newly formed Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
o Plutonium production was briefly ceased after the war, but resumed in 1948 as the Cold War was intensifying -
The N Reactor
o In 1955 the Hanford site had 8 nuclear reactors, with 5 being added from 1949
o The N Reactor, the ninth and final reactor, was proposed, and would be built to produce plutonium for weapons and generate electricity as a byproduct
o This was the longest running reactor at over 24 years of service
o Revolutionary design that was far superior to the first 8 reactors -
Columbia River
o The Hanford Site becomes one of the largest producers of plutonium in the world.
o The first reactors at the site were shut down as part of the Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for weapons
o The largest radionuclide releases to the Columbia River occurred between 1956 and 1965 -
Health Concerns
o Concerns about environmental contamination and safety begin to surface
o The production of nuclear materials slows
o Health studies starting around this time were showing elevated risks of thyroid cancer and leukemia in exposed populations -
Contamination
o Groundwater contamination reached about 80 square miles
o 1986: The site is placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) as a Superfund site due to extensive contamination.
o 1987: Last reactor ceased operation
o 1989: the Tri-Party Agreement was signed, which laid the groundwork for the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study and the disposal of nuclear waste -
Clean Up Efforts
o Formal cleanup efforts began after Cold War ended plutonium production
o Cleanup focused on waste management and environmental restoration
o This included: encasing 8 of the 9 reactors in steel and concrete, demolishing most other structures, transforming some liquid waste into a glasslike solid, and treating contaminated groundwater -
New Health Studies
o 2000’s: clean-up efforts continue, with new health studies addressing long-term effects
o Research progresses on genetic and developmental impacts, although full effects remain uncertain
o The Department of Energy (DOE) establishes the Hanford Site’s Environmental Management Program to oversee cleanup -
2011
o Follow up review was conducted on the Hanford Site’s Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program
o Hanford Nuclear Site is the most contaminated nuclear site in the Western Hemisphere – home to hundreds contaminated facilities that require demolition
o Cleanup is difficult and dangerous, workers often use remote-controlled equipment or robotics -
Tunnel Collapse
o A tunnel that stores contaminated materials at the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Facility
o A 20-foot section of the tunnel collapsed, creating a large hole
o Workers were told to shelter in place, and others donned protective suits and respirators to repair the hole
o The DOE believes the collapse was caused by road crews contrasting above the tunnel
o No radiation was released into the atmosphere, but the collapse demonstrated the potential anger of the site -
Current Status
o Ongoing cleanup and monitoring continue, with an emphasis on groundwater remediation and waste management.
o The K East Reactor Interim Safe Storage enclosure was completed in 2022, and the last large concrete basin in the K Reactor Area was filled with grout in August 2024
o The Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant produced its first container of clean glass in December 2023