three+field+sites+pedlt3

The Hanford nuclear reservation was established during the Manhattan project in order to produce materials for nuclear weapons. It is now the site of one of the largest environmental remediation efforts in the world, as well as an operating low level radioactive waste dump, and a national laboratory. There are significant stakeholder involvement processes governing the site, as well various groups that are involved in less official ways. It was considered, before Congress passed the “screw Nevada bill,” as a possible site for a national high-level waste repository, and the debate over siting such a repository is still a major element in local politics because some of Hanford’s waste will be “temporarily” stored on site until a permanent waste site is found.
 * Hanford Nuclear Reservation / Richland, WA**

Some of the benefits of fieldwork in DC would be access to events, hearings, experts, journalists, and policymakers involved in radioactive waste debates, as well as, perhaps to a lesser extent, environmental remediation efforts like that at Hanford.
 * Washington, DC**

I still don’t know enough about this site, but it is, roughly speaking, the Western European equivalent to Hanford. It served many of the same purposes in the U.K.’s nuclear weapons efforts, serves as a low level waste site, was (is?) considered for a permanent repository, has suffered from major releases of radioactivity (some of it reaching the Irish sea, causing international tensions), and is currently undergoing remediation and decommissioning. There has been an active movement recently opposing a permanent repository in West Cumbria.
 * Sellafield, West Cumbria, U.K.**