The 50-mile stretch of the Columbia River known as the Hanford Reach is the last free flowing section of the river in the U.S. This natural wonder is now a national monument.

A few miles west of the river there remains a deadly legacy of the Cold War: 53 million gallons of radioactive and chemical wastes stored in 177 underground tanks. At least a million gallons of radioactive waste have leaked from 67 of Hanford's tanks and are contaminating the groundwater, threatening the Columbia River and millions of people downstream.

Turning most of this waste into a sturdy glass, a process known as vitrification, is an unprecedented engineering and construction challenge.

As the cornerstone of Hanford cleanup, The Vit Plant serves to complete Hanford’s defense mission.