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At the
end of World War II, the United States embarked in a Cold War with
the Soviet Union that would last for more than four decades.
The Cold War
was a conflict over ideological, economical and political differences,
resulting in a nuclear arms race between the two countries.
To combat the threat of communism, the U.S. government developed a
national research, production and testing network that came to be
known as the “nuclear weapons complex.” At its peak, the
complex consisted of 21 major facilities, including research,
production, assembly and testing sites located in 13 states, often
in small rural communities.
Recognizing
the need to regulate the production and use of atomic power, the
U.S. government founded the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. One of the act’s provisions was
the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a civilian-led
agency that would later become the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE). The AEC was responsible for the production of fissionable
material, biologic and health research, accident prevention, the
production of electricity, nuclear aircraft research and data
declassification.
The
Fernald Site
In the late 1940s, the AEC authorized the construction of a single
consolidated processing facility that would contain a chemical
processing component and a uranium metal refinery to supply feed
material to the rest of the weapons complex. Prior to this,
feed material was produced at three separate locations in St.
Louis, Mo., Cleveland, Ohio, and Niagara Falls, N.Y. The AEC’s
New York Operations office assigned the job of siting the plant to
its architect/engineering design contractor, Catalytic
Construction Company. The AEC’s goal was to have the new
site operational by January 1953.
During its
search for the perfect location to build a uranium production
facility, Catalytic Construction considered over 60 different
locations in several mid-western and southern states. Its
final recommendation was a 1,050-acre parcel of land located on
the border of Hamilton and Butler counties near the small rural
community Fernald, Ohio. The site offered the best
combination of features: a
skilled labor force (machinists); lower property values; a
plentiful water supply; a nearby railroad line; close proximity to
Cincinnati and level terrain.
The area was
mainly agricultural and undeveloped. Most residents received
their water from wells or cisterns, many farms had no electricity,
and local roadways were often narrow and unpaved. Despite
the rural setting, the AEC decided the location was optimal for a
uranium production facility and used the federal government’s
right of eminent domain to claim the land it needed. A front-page
article in the March 31, 1951, edition of the Cincinnati
Times-Star announced the AEC’s plan to “build a $3 million
uranium ore refining plant near Fernald.”
Once the
location was selected, the AEC moved quickly to begin construction
of the plants and support facilities. Some of the houses and buildings the
government acquired from property owners were used as construction
offices. As more
homes were built in the area to accommodate Fernald’s expanding
workforce, many small towns that dotted the surrounding area of
Hamilton and Butler counties grew and became economically
dependant on the site. For almost 30 years, the community
and plant quietly coexisted; people thought little of the
manufacturing facility and many did not realize its link to the
nation’s defense program. The threats of the Cold War
fueled concerns about national security, and the company warned employees not
to share information about their jobs or site
operations with the public. What was once considered a
patriotic mission for the nation’s security would decades later
be called threatening and dangerous operations.
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