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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation Paperback - 2016

by Melvin R. Adams

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Reader reviews for Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

From the publisher

"I have spent a career sifting through the rubble, the abandoned documents, the factories and tools, with the thought of saving what remains of water, land, and animals. But water, wind, and root have their way."--Melvin R. Adams

Perhaps the first environmental engineer at Hanford, Adams spent twenty-four years on its 586 square miles. His thoughtful vignettes recall challenges and sites he worked on or found personally intriguing, like the 216-U-pond. Nestled among the trees, the pond looks like a pleasant place to go fishing. In reality, it has been contaminated with plutonium longer than any other place on earth.

In what Adams considers his most successful project, he helped determine the initial scope of the soil and solid waste cleanup. The Environmental Restoration and Disposal Facility today covers 107 acres and has a capacity of 18 million tons.

His group also designed and tested a marked, maintenance-free disposal barrier. It uses natural materials that will remain stable for thousands of years. They expanded a network of groundwater monitoring wells to define contaminated plumes, assess treatment effectiveness, and provide relevant data to hydrologists. They also developed a pilot scale pump and treatment plant for use on a four-square-mile carbon tetrachloride plume.

His environmental and engineering unit included a biological control group fondly dubbed "The Weeds." They controlled tumbleweeds, tracked and collected plants and animals found growing or digging in contaminated sites, and caught stray wildlife discovered in Hanford offices.

In Atomic Geography, Adams presents some surprising revelations. He shares his perspective on leaking high-level waste storage tanks, dosimeters, and Hanford's obsession with safety. He answers the question he is asked most, insisting he does not glow in the dark. He leaves that to spent fuel rods in water storage basins--a phenomenon known as Cherenkov radiation.

Details

  • Title Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
  • Author Melvin R. Adams
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 154
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Washington State University Press
  • Publication date 2016-11-02
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Glossary, Illustrated, Index, Maps
  • ISBN 9780874223415 / 0874223415
  • Weight 0.55 lbs (0.25 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.4 in (23.11 x 15.49 x 1.02 cm)
  • Category Technology & Industrial Arts
  • Library of Congress subjects Nuclear weapons plants - Waste disposal -, Hazardous waste site remediation -
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2016023036
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

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Citations

  • Foreword, 11/11/2016, Page 0

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Atomic Geography
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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Atomic Geography – A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Atomic Geography – A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

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Atomic Geography: a Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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WSU Press, 2016. Trade Paperback. Fine. Book is in excellent condition, as new. Binding is solid and square, covers have sharp corners, exterior shows no blemishes, text/interior is clean and free of marking of any kind. 140 pages with photos throughout. Keywords: Hanford, Washington State, Leaking, Toxic, Ponds, Cleanup, Solid Waste, Radiation, Groundwater, Wells, Waste, High-Level, Dosimeters, Uranium, Autobiography.
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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

by Adams, Melvin R

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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

by Adams, Melvin R

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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

by Adams, Melvin R.

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