Plutonium vulnerability issues at Hanford`s Plutonium Finishing Plant

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) at the Hanford, Washington, site began operating in the 1950s to produce plutonium metal and oxide for national defense purposes. Due to the production requirements and methods utilized to meet national needs and the abrupt shutdown of the plant in the late 1980s, the plant was left in a condition that poses a risk of radiation exposure to plant workers, of accidental radioactive material release to the environment, and of radiation exposure to the public. This report describes the stabilization of plutonium materials.