Far away from the mines of the Colorado Plateau, the first nuclear reactor in the world was built in Washington State. Here, uranium was used to create plutonium at Hanford, transmuting from a helpful ore to a nagging waste. As more atomic veterans died from radiation exposure, their families sought to hold someone accountable — and though it would come back to uranium country eventually, those outside of Colorado would be the first to blaze the trail.

Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown

In this episode:

Docents at the Manhattan Project B Reactor Historic Landmark in Hanford, Washington.