Outlined in this strategic plan for the Washington Nuclear Museum and Educational Center (www.wanmec.org) are the projects we plan to develop in the next year and a half. There are four main projects that will add unique dimensions to the WANMEC site that are not currently available from other resources. The goal with all of these projects is to partner with other organizations, experts, and interested citizens to make a collaborative effort to bring the history and facts about Hanford to the public.

Project #1- Interactive Map Showing the Global Effects of Hanford

This project will be the largest undertaking for WANMEC in 2009-2010. The goal is to create an interactive map of the world to show the effects that Hanford had on locations around the globe. Often, the focus of the effects of Hanford is primarily on the Columbia River, the residents of the surrounding areas, and those who worked at the facility. While these are important areas to focus on that will be covered under this project, we want to broaden our focus to show the effects that Hanford had around the globe. From the effects of the bombs dropped in WWII in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, to the effects on the areas where uranium mining took place to produce plutonium for the bombs, to the effects on the lives of current workers coming in to clean up Hanford, this tool with help demonstrate the far reaching effects that Hanford had on the world both directly and indirectly.

We will use a world map, similar to one found on Google Earth, and plot all of the outputs and inputs that went in or came out of Hanford. Users will be able to click "outputs" which will instantly show arrows flying out of Hanford to the different locations around the globe where Hanford outputs went and had an effect. Similarly, users will be able to click "inputs" which will instantly show arrows flying into Hanford from around the globe from locations where resources were extracted from to facilitate Hanford's goals. Each output or input location, when clicked, will zoom in on that location and provide detailed text, pictures, and other information on its relation to Hanford and how it was affected by its involvement, whether voluntary or involuntary, by Hanford. For example, we explore where the uranium was mined from, how it was prepared for use at Hanford, and where the products and waste went. This will link together many parts of the US as well as the world.

Not only will this be an excellent resource for the interested public, it will also be a tool for school lectures and presentations on Hanford and nuclear weapons. By outlining the effects of one plant, Hanford, on the world, it will provide an example of the often overlooked effects of nuclear weapons and power plants on the world.

Project #2- This is My Hanford

This is My Hanford is a project that will directly involve the public in adding to the history of Hanford and WANMEC. Whether a person grew up in Richland, had a relative that worked at Hanford, or is currently working on the cleanup, we are encouraging all to write a brief personal testimonial about their experiences. This project is modeled after the popular NPR program "This I Believe" where the public submits their own statements on what they believe and why.

These personal testimonials will provide a glimpse into the undocumented history of Hanford, the history that shares the feelings and emotions of those whose lives were touched in one way or another by the first full scale plutonium production facility in the world. While other organizations and agencies have done a good job of discussing the history of Hanford and how it all came to be, there is a lack of involvement by those that actually lived through it. Their insights, feelings, and emotions in regards to Hanford will add a greater understanding of what Hanford meant to those touched by it. The goal is to have submissions from a cross-section of the population from those who were and still are pro Hanford and pro nuclear, to those against Hanford and its by-products, to those who worked there, to those fighting against nuclear power. A diversity of submitters will produce a diversity of views and opinions that will accurately depict how Hanford affected so many lives.

Work on this project has already begun. A "This is My Hanford" page has been created on WANMEC with information on submission guidelines and other pertinent information. Outreach to potential interested submitters is beginning and we expect personal testimonials to begin coming in over the next few months.

Project #3- Periodical Timeline

Hanford history and timelines have been created by several different organizations and historians. In order to add a unique aspect to our historical section WANMEC will create a timeline of major events related to Hanford that will be integrated with a database of newspaper articles and other periodical writings related to each event. From the initial inception of Hanford to the cleanup and issues of today, the press, along with the general public, has written extensively about these events.

Each major event on our timeline will be clickable. Once clicked, it will open to a new screen with a brief description of the event as well as a list of articles and writing on the each event. When possible, the article will be available on the site. Thanks to the archives kept by poet, playwright, and artist Bill Witherup, WANMEC will display pictures of actual newspaper clippings when available. Photographs of papers from the 1940s ad 1950s are available and will add an interesting glimpse into the past. Along with articles, editorials, and letters to the editor will also be included in this project to help add the perspective of citizens and interested parties throughout time.

Collaboration with other organizations and parties that have pre-existing databases of articles on Hanford will aid in the creation of this historical timeline and database.

Project #4- Educational Resources

The section on educational resources will serve as a clearinghouse for presentations, interviews, documents, and other materials that aid educators and presenters on the topics of Hanford and nuclear weapons. These materials will come from WANMEC, WPSR, other PSR chapters throughout country, as well as other organizations working on similar issues. By collaborating with other organizations and agencies, WANMEC will serve as host for one of the most extensive sources for educational materials on Hanford and nuclear weapons and research on the web.