Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state is home to 56 million gallons of radioactive waste, posing a significant threat of an explosive accident. The EPA designated it the most toxic place in America and the most expensive environmental clean-up job. Huge underground tanks are leaking, contaminating groundwater supplies and threatening the Columbia River. Whistleblowers are speaking out, begging for attention to the dire situation. Atomic Days highlights the ravages of Hanford and its threat to communities, workers, and the global environment.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 01 November 2022
Publisher: Haymarket Books

Once home to the United States' largest plutonium production site, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state is a haunting testament to the devastating consequences of nuclear proliferation. Laced with an astounding 56 million gallons of radioactive waste, the site poses a grave and ongoing threat of an explosive accident, surpassing even the catastrophic scale of Chernobyl. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rightfully designated Hanford as the most toxic place in America, and the daunting task of cleaning up this mess has become the most expensive environmental clean-up project in history, with a staggering $677 billion price tag that continues to rise.

Huge underground tanks, long past their expiration dates and teeming with boiling radioactive gunk, are leaking, contaminating groundwater supplies, and posing a dire threat to the Columbia River. Whistleblowers, fearful of the worst yet to come, are courageously speaking out, desperately seeking to be heard and hoping their pleas will bring attention to the urgent situation at Hanford. Despite the presence of a few determined community groups and a handful of Indigenous activists, there has been minimal public scrutiny of the clean-up process, which is overseen by the Department of Energy and carried out by contractors with questionable track records, such as Bechtel.

In the backdrop of renewed interest in atomic power as a potential solution to climate change, Atomic Days emerges as a crucial examination of the myths surrounding nuclear technology, encompassing both weapons and electricity. The film sheds light on the devastating ravages of Hanford and its profound threat to communities, workers, and the global environment. It serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting consequences of nuclear proliferation and the urgent need for comprehensive and responsible solutions to address this environmental and humanitarian crisis.

Dimension: 215 x 139 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642598827