ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the development of the land use patterns at Hanford, and the emerging conflicts. Geographic information system resources are used to illustrate and analyse the conflicts and issues. The chapter describes the work of the Hanford Future Site Uses Working Group, an initial step, supported by the US Department of Energy, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of Washington to provide policy guidance to help manage future site use controversies. It allows the importance of treaty rights, rooted in past uses, and of legal requirements to protect cultural and archaeological sites. The Hanford site was established in 1943. It contained the first large-scale facilities to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, which began operation in late 1944. Most of the interest in new industrial, especially high tech, development lies in a wide swath between Richland and the 200 East area, northeast of highway 240.