House Approves Doc Hasting’s Plan for B Reactor Monument, Hanford Land Re-Use

The U.S. House of Representatives has signed off on plans to make Hanford's historic B Reactor part of a national monument, and to allow some Hanford land to be re-developed.

Hasting's amendments to the National Defense Authrorization Act for 2014, which has already passed, will help develop a Manhattan Project national monument that would include parts of Hanford; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. All were important parts of the nation's atomic heritage and played big roles in development of the atomic bombs and development of nuclear energy.

Hasting's plan would also require a 1,641-acre parcel of land no longer needed for cleanup to be turned over to the Tri-Cities Community Reuse Organization, which is TRIDEC - the Tri-Cities Development Council.

According to the information released from Hasting's office, the plan will:

Under the amendment 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.