Public Health and Safety

When the federal government planned for development of nuclear weapon technology at the onset of WWII, safety of the public and security of the installations were important considerations in the location and amount of land required.  Those same considerations of safety and security dictate the need for continued DOE ownership and control of large buffer areas around the current facilities. Having a relatively large buffer area around the installations seperates and protects the local residents from potential releases of toxic or rediologic materials and protects the installations from intrusion by individuals or entities that want to damage sensitive government operations.