Hanford Site

The Hanford Site occupies 1,518 square kilometers (586 square miles) in Benton County, south-central Washington. It was established in 1943 during World War II as the Hanford Engineer Works, part of the Manhattan Project, to provide the plutonium necessary for the development of nuclear weapons. The Federal Government bought the towns of White Bluffs and Hanford and all of the surrounding farmland and orchards and evacuated the residents to make room for the site.

Related Topics:
Benton County - Washington - 1943 - World War II - Hanford Engineer Works - Manhattan Project - Plutonium - Nuclear weapon - Town - White Bluffs - Hanford

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The Plutonium manufactured at the Hanford site was used to build the first nuclear bomb that was tested at Trinity site, New Mexico, and used to build Fat Man, the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

Related Topics:
Trinity site - Fat Man - Bomb - Nagasaki

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Currently, the Hanford Site is engaged in the world's largest environmental cleanup, with many challenges to be resolved in the face of overlapping technical, political, regulatory, and cultural interests. The cleanup effort is focused on three outcomes: restoring the Columbia River corridor for other uses, converting the central plateau to long-term waste treatment and storage, and preparing for the future.

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Although most of the original Hanford Site is in Benton County, approximately 20% is across the Columbia River in Grant and Franklin counties. This land has been returned to private use and is now covered with orchards and irrigated fields.

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