On the Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site

Gerber's history of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is the culmination of years of research and based on thousands of declassified documents. It lays out the degredation of surface water, ground water, and air as plutonium production escalated in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and the associated developments in environmental monitoring and research...though alas, not public information. The issue is secrecy, and by implication, the physical and psychic damage secrecy inflicts on a democracy. I admire more than anything Gerber's refusal to paint the actors in black and white. This is an important and beautifully written book. If only every American knew this story.

Dr. Gerber reduced the thousands of documents, memos, and misc data declassified reguarding the Hanford Area and the surrounding region from the very beginning of the Manhattan Project. Having lived there for a majority of my life in what was once the "Richland Village" and going to a high school with a mascot of the Bombers, this book was particularly interesting to me. It also allowed me to carry intelligent conversation with my grandfather (who worked there from the 50's till the 80's). Highly technical in parts but with some explaination, I reccommend you read a bit about radioactivity and geology to assist your understanding of the content.