Groundwater Contamination and Archaeological Resources, Hanford Washington

This research focuses on the historical overview, remediation procedures, and documenting the environmental impact of Hanford Nuclear Reservation. As a result of the production and disposal methods of nuclear waste, Hanford site has had major implications on the environment. When production ended in the 1980s there were more than 100,000 uranium fuel rods on site. The K-basin, for example, held two nuclear reactors for plutonium production. A combination of core reactors leaking and holding pond overflows leached contaminants into the groundwater. Multiple methods were used to store nuclear waste and hazardous chemicals including holding ponds, unlined pits, trenches, landfills, reverse wells, and underground storage tanks. As a result, contamination has caused major implications on the environment, and contaminated pre-contact archaeological sites including: pre-contact pit houses, hunting and kill sites. In 1994, the remediation process began to extract contaminated water and sediment. The degree to which these sites have been compromised is unknown. This research identifies environmental issues associated with Hanford, and clean-up procedures during remediation processes. It is important to know the history of Hanford and its adverse effects on the environment as well as cultural resources