On Friday, March 15, 2013, Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) introduced legislation (H.R. 1208) to create a Manhattan Project National Historical Park. This follows the Senate bill (S. 507) which was introduced on March 7 by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
Rep. Hastings, the Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, has been one of the strongest supporters of the park and has vowed to see the legislation pass through Congress. In a press release, he declared, “The Manhattan Project is a significant chapter in America’s history. The establishment of this park will ensure that this history is preserved and that facilities, such as Hanford’s B Reactor, will remain open and accessible for future generations to visit.”
Rep. Lujan has been especially dedicated to ensuring that the park will tell the stories of all the participants involved, including the Hispanics and Pueblos who worked at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. He stated, “This legislation ensures that the legacy of the Manhattan Project and the people who were instrumental to its goal will not be forgotten. A national historical park in these communities will help tell this story and allow us to reflect on how this project changed the world and how we can move forward ensuring peace and prosperity.”
Establishing a Manhattan Project National Historical Park would preserve key Manhattan Projects for the education of future generations. Some of the sites that could be included in the park are the B Reactor at Hanford, which produced plutonium for the atomic bombs; buildings in the Los Alamos Historical District such as Bathtub Row; and the X-10 Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge, the first continuously operated nuclear reactor.
The benefits of establishing a Manhattan Project National Historical Park are manifold. The park would increase tourism to the three sites. The B Reactor is already a popular tourist attraction; despite very limited bus tours of the site, in 2012 alone 10,000 people from 50 states and 60 countries visited the reactor. The communities of the Tri-Cities, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge will benefit from the increased tourism and national visibility.
In the next step, the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which oversee national park-related legislation, will consider the bills in mark-up sessions. This week the Senate Committee passed 19 public lands bills in their first markup session. From the committees, the legislation goes to the floor for a vote.
Please contact your Congressmen to urge their support of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act! To find contact information for your representative, please click here.
The legislation may move forward quickly, so stay tuned!