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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Reconstructing doses from Hanford releases

Conference ·
OSTI ID:518629
 [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)

During World War II, the United States Army Corps of Engineers selected an area of nearly 1000 km{sup 2}, in semiarid southeastern Washington State, for producing plutonium and other nuclear materials supporting the United States` war effort (known as the Manhattan Project). This area, called the Hanford Site, was used for uranium fuel preparation, nuclear reactor operations, fuel reprocessing, plutonium recovery, and waste management operations. Nine nuclear reactors for the production of plutonium were eventually constructed. Reactor operations began in 1944; the last production reactor was placed in cold standby in 1987. Additional support facilities were constructed in the 1940s and 1950s; only a limited number of these facilities continue to operate. Hanford Site operations today are primarily focussed on waste management and restoration activities.

OSTI ID:
518629
Report Number(s):
CONF-950408--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English