// Risk Intelligence
| Risk Score | 7 / 10 High |
| Facility Type | ☢ Nuclear Power Plant |
| Operator / Branch | National Park Service / Department of Energy |
| Host County | Benton County WA |
| Nearest City | Pepperell MA |
| Primary Risk Radius | 5 miles |
| Secondary Risk Radius | 20 miles |
// Strategic Significance
The Hanford B Reactor was the worlds first large-scale nuclear reactor producing plutonium for the Trinity test and Fat Man bomb that ended World War II. The broader Hanford Site contains the most contaminated nuclear landscape in the western hemisphere with 56 million gallons of radioactive waste in leaking underground tanks. Ongoing radioactive contamination from Hanford reaches the Columbia River. State-sponsored actors have assessed Hanford as a symbolic and operational target combining Cold War nuclear heritage with ongoing radiological contamination risk.
// Civilian Impact Assessment
Benton County with 200,000 residents and Columbia River watershed. Hanford is the most contaminated nuclear site in the western hemisphere. Leaking tanks continue to contaminate the Columbia River. A deliberate attack could accelerate contamination. The Cold War nuclear heritage creates symbolic terrorism value.
// Evacuation & Shelter Guidance
WA Route 240, Columbia River, Hanford Site. Benton County Emergency Management DOE and NPS coordinate Hanford terrorism radiological and Columbia River contamination protocols.