A Washington nuclear site that was used in World War II and dubbed the ‘underground Chernobyl’ is reportedly a disaster waiting to happen. 

The Hanford Site sits on nearly 600 acres of desert land in Washington and is one of the US’ most radioactive and chemical contamination sites. 

The site was built during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, where workers produced plutonium to build the bomb that would eventually drop over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. 

Buried in 177 leaky storage tanks is 56million gallons of radioactive waste, according to Washington’s Department of Ecology. 

When the site was in use, more than 400billion gallons of contaminated liquids were dumped into the ground, coming in contact with groundwater and even reaching parts of the Columbia River, according to the department. 

However, its most hazardous waste was buried in the tanks and unlined trenches. 

By 1985, the Ringold community living near the site was dubbed ‘death mile’ as the farming residents were getting high rates of cancers from breathing in Iodine 131, which is radioactive. 

Iodine 131 is commonly used to treat thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism, an autoimmune disease where the gland overproduces the hormone. 

Now, the nuclear waste site is being propositioned as a potential place for AI development by the Department of Energy, according to The Tri-City Herald. 

DailyMail.com takes a look at the site’s history.  

A Washington nuclear site that was used in World War II and was dubbed the ‘underground Chernobyl ‘ is a disaster waiting to happen

The Hanford Site sits on nearly 600 acres of desert land in Washington and is one of the US’ most radioactive and chemical contamination sites

The site was built during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, where workers produced plutonium to build the bomb that would eventually drop over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945 

The Construction and WWII

When the government decided to build the Hanford Site in 1943, it gave locals – including indigenous tribes – 30 days to vacate the area. Residents were paid for their land, while tribes were not given any compensation, the department said. 

The War Powers Act – prior to its 1973 resolution – allowed the president to acquire land for military purposes. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took more than 600 square miles under the Act.

Pretty soon after, up to 55,000 men and women moved to the area to begin work on the top secret project. Most did not know what they were building or working on, but did knew it was for the war. 

Workers also had access to eight dining halls, barbershops, a hospital, a post office, dance halls, bowling alleys, and a movie theater, according to the Department of Ecology. Employees also played on baseball teams and boxed to keep them entertained while working their top secret jobs. 

Only five percent of Hanford’s workplace knew what was truly happening on the grounds, according to the department. 

The first full-scale plutonium production reactor was completed in 13 months and began operation in 1944. 

That reactor would lead Leona Libby, a 23-year-old physicist, and her team to construct the first nuclear chain reaction which later helped develop the bomb. 

It wasn’t until after the bomb was dropped that most Hanford workers understood what they had been a part of, according to the department. 

Buried in 177 leaky storage tanks is 56million gallons of radioactive waste, according to Washington’s Department of Ecology. Pictured: The 200 Area of the Hanford nuclear site is seen in a 1995 aerial photo 

Now, the nuclear waste site is being propositioned as a potential place for AI development by the Department of Energy

Pretty soon after, up to 55,000 men and women moved to the area to begin work on the top secret project. Most did not know what they were building or working on, but did knew it was for the war

The Cold War

After WWII ended, the production site continued operating throughout the Cold War, which lasted between 1946 and 1989. 

Nine plutonium production reactors were built on the site and the government still kept the usage of the grounds under lock and key. 

In 1963, the last reactor was built that could make both plutonium and electricity, the department said. 

The Department of Ecology was set up in 1970 and it began calling out red flags about the site, but do its secrecy, employees were only granted limited access to it. 

It eventually shut down in 1989 after an inspector reported concerned in 1987 and he testified before Congress. 

The talks of clean-up efforts began after that, but the site is still an environmental concern as of today. 

A file photo of a mushroom cloud 

After WWII ended, the production site continued operating throughout the Cold War, which last between 1946 and 1989

Only five percent of Hanford’s workplace knew what was truly happening on the grounds. It wasn’t until after the bomb was dropped that most Hanford workers understood what they had been apart of

When the site was in use, more than 400billion gallons of contaminated liquids were dumped into the ground, coming in contact with groundwater and even reaching parts of the Columbia River

Health concerns and downwinders

Richland area residents are suspected of being exposed to hazardous contamination as they are downwind from the nuclear site. 

Unusually high rates of cancer began popping up in the are around 1985 and the government was sued many times over the issue. 

A Spokesman-Review story at time discovered the government had tested how Iodine 131 moves through the air and the risks. 

Congress commissioned an additional study in 1988 to research the presence of Iodine 131 and thyroid cancer in the region, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

The study found there was no relation to the increase in thyroid disease and the radioactive material, which enraged locals. 

Many scientists criticized the study. 

Richland area residents are suspected of being exposed to hazardous contamination as they are downwind from the nuclear site

Unusually high rates of cancer began popping up in the are around 1985 and the government was sued many times over the issue (pictured: a worker at the site) 

The cost of the clean-up of the site is roughly $2billion a year. 

The site today

The Tri-Party Agreement was signed in 1989 with the Ecology Department, Department of Energy, and the EPA to make sure clean-up efforts were properly done. 

Despite 30 years of clean-up efforts, ‘countless challenges and dangers remain’, the Ecology Department said. 

‘Our priority is to oversee cleanup of the Hanford Site and ensure the protection of the area’s land, air, and water for current and future generations,’ it said. 

Seven of the nine reactors have been ‘cocooned,’ meaning its been placed in a safe storage and its surrounding facilities are being removed. The reactor itself will be sealed up, according to the department. 

Cocooning lasts for 75 years to allow radiation levels to safely decline before teams are able to fully dismantle them. 

Radioactive waste cannot be buried or burned and takes an extensive amount of time to dismantle. 

The underground storage tanks are also leaking, with at least 67 already have and two currently are, according to the Ecology Department. 

More than 1million gallons have leaked from the tanks, the department said. 

If the waste products are not treated, it could contaminate groundwater and the river. 

The cost of the clean-up is roughly $2billion a year. 

The Department of Energy is putting out feelers to see if anyone is interested in using parts of the grounds for AI infrastructure, alongside 15 other sites, according to The Tri-City Herald. 

If the site is chosen, construction would start by the end of the year, with hopes of it becoming usable by 2027. 

‘The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan Project, and with President Trump’s leadership and the innovation of our national labs, the United States can and will win,’ Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the outlet.