Hanford Site

This research takes a look at the health and safety of Hanford Nuclear Site workers during plutonium production for atomic weapons in the 1940s. In addition, how the workers were affected by strict secrecy standards and safety procedures set in place by the U.S. government in the day-to-day handling of radioactive materials on the site. The Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site has been the center of health controversies since the building of the first nuclear reactor was completed on the site in the early 1940s. These health concerns are the lead story of newscasts in the region surrounding Hanford whenever a leak of radioactive vapors is detected from one of the many underground storage tanks left after the War and being cleaned up today. Understanding the safety standards in place during production will help to understand the health concerns and environmental contamination at the site and how it happened.