© 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6301 | 800.782.6191
a service of Southern Oregon University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Northwest's Own Nuke Site: 'The Apocalypse Factory'

Army soldiers train in a radioactive area at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Sgt. Jacqueline Fennell
/
Wikimedia; https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56980312
Army soldiers train in a radioactive area at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Los Alamos got the big headlines about the birth and growth of America's nuclear weapons program. But it is far from the only place involved in building the earliest nuclear bombs.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Eastern Washington also made a major contribution, though it is less well-known than the New Mexico operation.

Steve Olson changes that with his new book, The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age.

Enrico Fermi himself toiled at Hanford to make the bomb to end World War II... and make us fear further wars. The author visits with the story.

Stay Connected
The Jefferson Exchange is Jefferson Public Radio's daily talk show focused on news and interests across our region of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Angela Decker is the senior producer, Charlie Zimmermann is the assistant producer, and Geoffrey Riley hosts the show.