Savannah River Plant
| Savannah River Plant | |
|---|---|
| Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell in South Carolina Near Augusta, Georgia in United States | |
Plutonium is produced for weapons purposes at the Atomic Energy Commission's Savannah River Plantby irradiating uranium in a nuclear reactor. | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Nuclear Materials Production and Processing Facilities |
| Owner | Government of the United States |
| Operator | DuPont |
| Open to the public | No |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
Map showing location of the site Savannah River Plant (the United States) | |
| Coordinates | 33°15′N 81°39′W / 33.250°N 81.650°W |
| Area | 310 sq mi (800 km2) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1951 |
| In use | 1951–1989 |
| Test information | |
| Remediation | 1981–present |
The Savannah River Plant (SRP) facilities were built in the 1950s to produce materials used in the fabrication of nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239, by irradiating target materials with neutrons in nuclear reactor. Five heavy water reactors were built on the site. Other facilities at the plant included two chemical separation plants, a heavy water extraction plant, a nuclear fuel and target fabrication facility and waste management facilities. Production of nuclear materials for military use ceased in 1988.