The Economic Times

1,500 residents were displaced from Hanford in 1943; 83 years later, the Washington site holds about 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste

In 1943, residents were uprooted from their homes to create the Hanford nuclear site, which played a crucial role in generating plutonium for the United States during significant wartime events and the Cold War. Currently, more than fifty million gallons of hazardous waste remain stored in aging tanks, many of which are leaking and have exceeded their intended lifespan. Ongoing cleanup efforts aim for completion by 2040.