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HTDS Guide > Hanford
History > About the Hanford Nuclear Site
HTDS Guide
About the Hanford Nuclear Site
The Hanford Nuclear Site occupies about 560 square miles in
southeastern Washington State, adjacent to the towns of Pasco, Kennewick
and Richland. The facility was the world's first large-scale nuclear
production plant. It was constructed in the early 1940s as part of the
Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.
Over the course of many years, large amounts of radioactive materials
(radionuclides) were released into the atmosphere and the Columbia River
as part of the plutonium production process.
The major radioactive releases occurred in the form of gases and
particles into the air from 1944 through 1957. These releases occurred
mainly because of increased production and lack of filter systems.
Changes in the production process over the years greatly reduced
releases into the air.
Many different kinds of radioactive materials were released. For many
people living in the region, most of their dose was due to iodine-131
released into the air.
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