HANFORD: Murray Applauds Recommendation to Establish National Historical Park at Hanford’s B Reactor

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded the recommendation by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the National Park Service that Congress establish a national historical park to commemorate the Manhattan Project at three sites where much of the critical scientific activity associated with the project occurred, one of which is Hanford, Washington.

“I applaud the Administration’s call to establish a national historical park to commemorate the Manhattan Project, and I am going to keep working with Senator Cantwell in the Senate to make that recommendation a reality,” said Senator Patty Murray. “The B Reactor played a critical role in the history of our nation, and establishing a national historical park will attract visitors from across the country and give them an opportunity to learn about and reflect on the contribution made by Hanford and the Tri-Cities during World War II and the Cold War.”

The National Park Service, at the direction of Congress, conducted a special resource study on several Manhattan Project sites for possible inclusion in the National Park System.   The study, released to Congress this week, recommends that the best way to preserve and interpret the Manhattan Project is for Congress to establish a national historical park at three sites where much of the critical scientific activity associated with the project occurred: Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.