The Hanford Nuclear Site, formerly known as Hanford Engineer Works, was established in the early 1940s to develop nuclear weapon fuel, including for the atomic bomb that was detonated on Nagasaki, Japan, which ultimately ended the second World War. 
Throughout the Cold War, Hanford continued to produce weapons, and in 1964 it started producing power for the Pacific Northwest. The eight nuclear reactors at Hanford, however, also generated a significant amount of radioactive waste, much of which was dumped into the environment. 
Hanford was shut down in 1989 after problems with worker safety, poor management, and health risks became apparent.
Listen now to learn more about this Evergreen State location and some of the devastation it helped to create!

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