Bill to Create Hanford National Historical Park Passes House

It's one of the longest running efforts by outgoing Congressman Doc Hastings.

After years of effort by local, regional, state officials and Rep. Doc Hastings,   the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 will honor the history and legacy of the Manhattan Project, and all those who worked on it.  It's a project Doc has been pushing for years.

According to Hasting's Office:

"This provision establishes the Manhattan Project National Historical Park that will include Hanford’s historic B Reactor as well as facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Los Alamos, New Mexico.  “Creation of this park will help ensure that current and future generations get one-of-a-kind glimpses into an important part of our history,” said Hastings. ”This hard-won victory for the Tri-Cities comes after many years of hard work and would not have been possible without the continued dedication of Park supporters and volunteers who made this a reality. I appreciate the support of Washington’s Senators and their work to ensure that this is moving forward.”

Hastings went on to say in his news release:

"Under the bill, the Department of the Interior has one year to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and enter into an agreement with the Department of Energy governing the respective roles in administering the facilities, enhancing public access, management, interpretation and historic preservation."

The Manhattan Project is one of the biggest technological achievements in U.S. history,  the creation of the world's first nuclear production reactor, and the breakthroughs in nuclear energy that came about from the production of the world's first atomic bomb.   While the bomb certainly helped end WWII,  the legacy of what was started at Hanford far outreaches  the impact the two weapons had on ending the war.

Much of the world's nuclear technology can be traced to the work done on the Manhattan Project.   The Tri-Cities is truly a unique region, as it's the first in the world to have been created from such a project.

The bill also contains provisions to help Washington residents with camping cabin fees, making recreation much easier, and it will ensure public access to the Rattlesnake Mountain area as part of the Hanford Reach National Monument.   Hastings believes public access is vital to the region, especially as the Hanford cleanup progresses.  Once it's finished, he believes the Hanford area should NOT remain in the hands of the federal government, and off limits to citizens.