Feds Announce Massive Solar Project on Hanford Nuclear Site

Originally, the goal of cleaning up the Hanford nuclear site, according to various Federal sources including NOAA,  "is to restore the natural resources affected by contamination from decades of nuclear defense activities at the Hanford Nuclear Site." (Bold added for emphasis).

 Now, Feds plan to put up 8,000 acre solar farm

Most observers believe the eventual goal of cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear site, where the plutonium for the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan was made, is to restore it to its previous condition which was largely wildlands and maybe even some agriculture.

While ag use could be in question, many believe wildlands use could return. But now the DOE (Department of Energy) has announced the pursuit of installing a massive 12.5 square mile solar  farm. According to DOE: 

"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced it will enter into realty negotiations with Hecate Energy, LLC for a solar project capable of delivering up to one-gigawatt of clean energy within an 8,000-acre area of DOE owned land at the Hanford Site as part of the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative."

 "Hecate Energy, LLC will have the opportunity to negotiate a realty agreement for up to 8,000 acres at Hanford that DOE is making available for development of a gigawatt-scale solar photovoltaic system with battery storage."

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This project is predicated on the land being cleaned up to the point where such a project would become feasible. It is not yet known what part of the Hanford Reservation the farm would be located on.