Making Peace With Plutonium

Abstract

A legacy of the Cold War plutonium production effort is thousands of square miles of contaminated land, among them the 586 square mile Hanford nuclear site in southeastern Washington. The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleanup and disposition of much of the property. Because of cost and technological limitations, some of the disposed land will remain hazardous for certain land uses. Ensuring the safe, post-disposition use is the long-term stewardship mission of the DOE. This article argues that the National Park Service should become the lead agency responsible for Hanford's B-Reactor, the world's first full-scale plutonium production reactor and now a National Historic Landmark. The author argues that the site should become the principal venue for continued civic discussions concerning cleanup - the <i>vita activa</i> of long-term stewardship.