Reduction-Oxidation Complex, Plutonium Concentration Facility, 200 West Area, Richland, Benton County, WA

Significance: Building 233-S, the Plutonium Concentration Facility, was constructed as part of the Reduction-Oxidation (REDOX) Canyon and Service Facility's Phase II Capacity Increase on the Hanford Site. While 233-S is not individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, it does appear to merit consideration as a contributing element to a potential historic district centered on the adjacent REDOX canyon building (202-S) as both facilities were closely connected. Located adjacent to the north wall of 202-S, the 233-S building provided final purification and concentration of plutonium solutions using an ion-exchange process. In 1963 a chemical reaction in the exchange column in 233-S resulted in a fire that spread plutonium contamination throughout most of the building. After clean-up the facility was used for concentration of plutonium and neptuniun nitrate solutions from the REDOX plant until 1967, when both 233-S and REDOX were sealed off and retired from service.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N463

Survey number: HAER WA-129-A

nuclear facilities benton county reduction oxidation complex reduction oxidation complex plutonium concentration plutonium concentration facility west area richland benton washington state historic american engineering record photo ultra high resolution high resolution library of congress national register of historic places industrial history

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html