[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 1208, TO ESTABLISH THE MANHATTAN
PROJECT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN OAK RIDGE,
TN, LOS ALAMOS, NM, AND HANFORD, WA
=======================================================================
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS
AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
of the
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
Friday, April 12, 2013
__________
Serial No. 113-10
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov
or
Committee address: http://naturalresources.house.gov
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
80-442 WASHINGTON : 2014
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC
area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC
20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
DOC HASTINGS, WA, Chairman
EDWARD J. MARKEY, MA, Ranking Democratic Member
Don Young, AK Peter A. DeFazio, OR
Louie Gohmert, TX Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, AS
Rob Bishop, UT Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
Doug Lamborn, CO Grace F. Napolitano, CA
Robert J. Wittman, VA Rush Holt, NJ
Paul C. Broun, GA Raul M. Grijalva, AZ
John Fleming, LA Madeleine Z. Bordallo, GU
Tom McClintock, CA Jim Costa, CA
Glenn Thompson, PA Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
Cynthia M. Lummis, WY CNMI
Dan Benishek, MI Niki Tsongas, MA
Jeff Duncan, SC Pedro R. Pierluisi, PR
Scott R. Tipton, CO Colleen W. Hanabusa, HI
Paul A. Gosar, AZ Tony Cardenas, CA
Raul R. Labrador, ID Steven A. Horsford, NV
Steve Southerland, II, FL Jared Huffman, CA
Bill Flores, TX Raul Ruiz, CA
Jon Runyan, NJ Carol Shea-Porter, NH
Mark E. Amodei, NV Alan S. Lowenthal, CA
Markwayne Mullin, OK Joe Garcia, FL
Chris Stewart, UT Matt Cartwright, PA
Steve Daines, MT
Kevin Cramer, ND
Doug LaMalfa, CA
Vacancy
Todd Young, Chief of Staff
Lisa Pittman, Chief Legislative Counsel
Jeffrey Duncan, Democratic Staff Director
David Watkins, Democratic Chief Counsel
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
ROB BISHOP, UT, Chairman
RAUL M. GRIJALVA, AZ, Ranking Democratic Member
Don Young, AK Peter A. DeFazio, OR
Louie Gohmert, TX Niki Tsongas, MA
Doug Lamborn, CO Rush Holt, NJ
Paul C. Broun, GA Madeleine Z. Bordallo, GU
Tom McClintock, CA Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
Cynthia M. Lummis, WY CNMI
Scott R. Tipton, CO Pedro R. Pierluisi, PR
Raul Labrador, ID Colleen W. Hanabusa, HI
Mark E. Amodei, NV Steven A. Horsford, NV
Chris Stewart, UT Carol Shea-Porter, NH
Steve Daines, MT Joe Garcia, FL
Kevin Cramer, ND Matt Cartwright, PA
Doug LaMalfa, CA Edward J. Markey, MA, ex officio
Doc Hastings, WA, ex officio
------
CONTENTS
----------
Page
Hearing held on Friday, April 12, 2013........................... 1
Statement of Members:
Grijalva, Hon. Raul M., a Representative in Congress from the
State of Arizona........................................... 3
Hastings, Hon. Doc, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Washington........................................ 1
Prepared statement of.................................... 3
Statement of Witnesses:
Beehan, Hon. Thomas L., Mayor, City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
Chairman, Energy Communities Alliance...................... 11
Prepared statement of.................................... 12
Berting, Fran, County Councilor, The Incorporated County of
Los Alamos, New Mexico..................................... 15
Clarification for the record............................. 25
Prepared statement of.................................... 16
Fleischmann, Hon. Charles J. ``Chuck'', a Representative in
Congress from the State of Tennessee....................... 4
Knox, Victor W., Associate Director, Park Planning,
Facilities, and Public Lands, National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior................................. 5
Prepared statement of.................................... 6
Young, Hon. Steve C., Mayor, City of Kennewick, Washington... 8
Prepared statement of.................................... 9
LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 1208, TO ESTABLISH THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, LOS ALAMOS, NEW
MEXICO AND HANFORD, WASHINGTON, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
----------
Friday, April 12, 2013
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation
Committee on Natural Resources
Washington, D.C.
----------
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m. in
room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Doc Hastings
presiding.
Members present: Representatives McClintock, Tipton,
Cramer, LaMalfa, Grijalva, and Sablan.
Also present: Representatives Hastings and Fleischmann.
Mr. Hastings. The Subcommittee will come to order, and I'll
note that this is the Subcommittee that Chairman Bishop has a
conflict. And so as Chairman of the Full Committee, I get to
take his place, and so I'm pleased to be here.
The Chair notes the presence of a quorum, and I would ask
unanimous consent that Mr. Fleischmann from Tennessee, who used
to be a member of this Committee, be allowed to sit on the dais
and participate.
Without objection, so ordered. And, welcome, Chuck.
Under the rules, opening statements are limited to the
Chairman and the Ranking Member; however, I ask unanimous
consent that any Member that wishes, to have a statement
submitted to the clerk prior to close of business today. I will
now recognize myself for 5 minutes for my opening statement.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. DOC HASTINGS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Mr. Hastings. Today's hearing is another step forward in
the effort to establish a historical park to preserve the story
and facilities of the Manhattan Project. This effort consists
of many years of careful study and consideration, and even more
years of dedicated advocacy by individuals and organizations in
communities that are directly touched and were directly touched
by the Manhattan Project.
Last June, these years of efforts culminated in the
introduction of a bipartisan legislation in both the House and
the Senate to establish a Manhattan Project National Historical
Park and that park would be at Hanford in my State of
Washington; Los Alamos in New Mexico, and Oak Ridge in
Tennessee. As with hundreds of other bills, this legislation
did not advance to become law in the last Congress, yet
significant progress was made.
The House and Senate held back-to-back hearings to hear
testimony of support, and the bill was approved by this
Committee and advanced to the full House for consideration. In
a vote of the House under suspension process, it requires two-
thirds majority. And, while we had a majority, we didn't have
the two-thirds, so the bill did not pass the House last year.
But, we do know that the majority of the House supports this
legislation, both Democrats and Republicans; and, so, the
question of passage is not one of if, but when, and we will
obviously work on that.
As we begin this new Congress, bipartisan legislation has
again been introduced in both the House and the Senate and the
Senate is expected to follow today's hearing with one of their
own later on this month. The Representatives and Senators of
both parties that are working together on this legislation are
very committed to advancing this historical park into law. And
even though we have a great deal of passion, that passion is
exceeded by those, the volunteers, in the respective
communities across the Nation.
We are fortunate to have representatives from each of the
three communities here today to testify on this legislation.
There are many historical, economic and tourism development
organizations in each of these communities that have helped
lead the way in preserving this piece of our Nation's history.
They are doing a tremendous job communicating the important
positive role this part can play in telling the story of our
efforts during the Second World War as we move forward, and
what they did with the Manhattan Project.
Today's witnesses are all elected leaders and members of
the Energy Community Alliance, an organization of local
communities whose towns are directly impacted by the presence
of significant Department of Energy facilities. I am
particularly grateful for the Alliance's willingness to work
with the Committee in arranging today's hearing, which
coincides with their annual meeting here in our nation's
capital.
We are also joined by a witness from the National Park
Service. Establishing a Manhattan Project National Historical
Park is supported by the Park Service as well as Department of
the Interior and Department of Energy. One key point that I
know the witnesses will cover, that I believe is important to
stress, is that the vast majority of the historical facilities
identified for inclusion in this park are already owned by the
Federal Government. At Hanford, in my State of Washington,
every single property is federally owned. Department of Energy
is responsible for these properties and is, in fact, legally
responsible for spending tens of millions of dollars to destroy
what's on those properties.
Rather than spend vast sums of taxpayer dollars to
dismantle and demolish irreplaceable pieces of our Nation's
history, it is far wiser and cheaper to dedicate lower sums of
money to preserve them for posterity. Clearly, the nature and
location of these facilities, especially those located on
secure Department of Energy sites presents a challenge, but
this legislation facilitates coordination, planning and
cooperation with the Department of Energy to ensure safe and
secure visitor access and protection of our national security.
So, I would like to ask unanimous consent, because this is
kind of a repeat hearing of what we had last time, unanimous
consent that the testimony of witnesses at last year's hearing
be part of this record, and without objection, so ordered.
(Testimony from the June 28, 2012 hearing can be found at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74876/pdf/CHRG-
112hhrg74876.pdf.)
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hastings follows:]
Prepared Statement of The Honorable Doc Hastings, Chairman, Committee
on Natural Resources
Today's hearing is another step forward in the effort to establish
a historical park to preserve the story and facilities of the Manhattan
Project. This effort consists of many years of careful study and
consideration, and even more years of dedicated advocacy by individuals
and organizations in communities directly touched by the Manhattan
Project. Last June, these years of efforts culminated in the
introduction of bipartisan legislation in both the House and Senate to
establish a Manhattan Project National Historical Park at Hanford,
Washington, Los Alamos, New Mexico and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
As with hundreds of other bills, this legislation did not advance
to become law last Congress. Yet significant progress was made. The
House and Senate held back-to-back hearings to hear testimony of
support, and the bill was approved by the House Natural Resources
Committee and advanced to the full House for consideration. In a vote
of the House under the suspension process, a strong majority of the
House voted to pass the bill, though it did not receive the super-
majority vote of two-thirds needed to send the bill to the Senate under
this expedited procedure. We now know that a majority of the House--
which includes both a majority of Republicans and Democrats--support
establishment of this Historical Park and its passage is now a question
of when, not if.
As we begin this new Congress, bipartisan legislation has again
been proposed in both the House and Senate. And the Senate is expected
to follow today's hearing with its own later this month.
The Representatives and Senators of both parties that are working
together on this legislation are very committed to advancing this
historical park into law--though even our passion for establishing the
park is exceeded by that of the volunteers and local leaders in the
three Manhattan Project communities and others across the Nation. We
were fortunate to have a representative from each of the three
communities testify at last year's hearing, and we are fortunate to
have similar representation today. There are many historical, economic
and tourism development organizations in each of the communities that
have helped lead the way in preserving this piece of our Nation's
history. They are doing a tremendous job communicating the important
positive role this park can play in telling the story of efforts during
the Second World War to accomplish an unprecedented, and many thought,
impossible, industrial and scientific achievement--to construct a
nuclear weapon and counter threats of similar development by Nazi
Germany.
______
Mr. Hastings. And with that, I recognize the distinguished
Ranking Member for his opening statement.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. RAUL GRIJALVA, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much. Chairman and witnesses,
thank you for coming today. I hope you had a peek at the cherry
blossoms, because after this storm today there might not be too
many of them left for you to enjoy.
Many of us supported the Chairman's legislation and his
efforts to move this legislation last Congress. It's a good
idea and the Chairman has worked hard on the issue for a long
time. We continue to have concerns with provisions in the
legislation limiting the park service from acquiring additional
lands or facilities in the future, and that concern has been
noted. And, without any further ado, so the witnesses can get
to their testimony, let me thank you and thank you for coming
today. And I yield back, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Hastings. Thank you very much for the brevity of your
opening statement, and I would tell my good friend from Arizona
that cherry blossoms are real blossoms in my State of
Washington, because at the end of the day they produce
cherries.
[Laughter.]
We have a distinguished panel here. We have Mr. Victor
Knox, who is Associate Director of Park Planning, Facilities,
and Public Lands of the National Park Service from the
Department of the Interior. I will yield to my friend from
Tennessee for the introduction of Tom Beehan, but we have also
with us the Mayor of the City of Kennewick, part of the Tri-
Cities in my home State.
I have known Steve for a number of years. He said it was
30. I didn't know it was that long. It could have been, but, at
any rate, Steve has been very much an advocate and a very good
representative for our three communities there as far as this
Manhattan Project. And we also have Fran Berting, County
Councilor for the County of Los Alamos in New Mexico and a
former resident, by the way, of the Tri-Cities. And, Fran,
thank you for reminding me of that. My memory now is coming
back.
At this time, I'd like to yield to my colleague from
Tennessee for purposes of introduction. Chuck?
STATEMENT OF THE HON. CHARLES J. ``CHUCK'' FLEISCHMANN, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
Mr. Fleischmann. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member Grijalva, distinguished
members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to introduce Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan. Mayor
Beehan is a constituent of mine and has joined us here today to
talk about the importance of the Manhattan Project National
Park to Oak Ridge and all of east Tennessee.
I represent the Third District of Tennessee, which includes
Oak Ridge. One cannot spend much time in my district without
becoming aware of just how important the legacy of the
Manhattan Project is to east Tennessee. From our cutting edge
scientific research at Oak Ridge National Lab to critical
National Security work at Y-12 to our important nuclear clean-
up mission, so much of our history began with the thousands of
Tennesseeans who worked hard every day to complete the
Manhattan Project.
The Park will provide visitors with a first-hand look at
the incredible work done at Oak Ridge and pay tribute to those
who work at Y-12, K25, and the X-10 graphite reactor. A unique
time in our history, we accomplished incredible feats in
completing the Manhattan project.
Mayor Beehan understands the importance of the Park to our
community. Who knows why it is so important to preserve the
unique place that Oak Ridge holds in the history of our Nation,
just like it's important that we preserve legacies at Hanford
and Los Alamos.
I thank Mayor Beehan for his dedication to the Manhattan
National Park and I thank him for joining us today. It is my
pleasure to introduce Mayor Tom Beehan of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Mr. Hastings. I thank the gentleman for the introduction
and for the panel that's here. For those of you that are
testifying in front of Congress the first time, I'll tell you
how the process goes. You have that little timer in front of
you, and there's a green light and a yellow light and a red
light. And the way it works, first of all, your full statement
will appear in the record that you have submitted to the
Government.
That will appear in the record. But what I'd like to do is
ask you to keep your oral statements within the 5-minute rule.
And the way the lights work is when the green light is on,
you're doing extremely well; but, when the green light goes off
and the yellow light comes on, that means there's 1 minute
left. And then when the red light goes on, well, you just don't
want to go there. OK?
I could, of course, but if you would keep your remarks
within that 5 minutes, that's what the lights are when they
come on. So, if you could do it that way, we'll start then, Mr.
Knox, with you, and you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF VICTOR W. KNOX, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PARK PLANNING,
FACILITIES, AND PUBLIC LANDS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Knox. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to be here today
and thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of
the Interior's views on H.R. 1208. I'd like to submit a full
statement for the record and summarize our position today here.
The Administration supports H.R. 1208 with amendments. The
bill would authorize establishment of Manhattan Project
National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos,
New Mexico and Hanford, Washington.
Development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan
Project was one of the most transformative events in our
Nation's history. It ushered in the atomic age. It changed the
role of the United States in the world community and set the
stage for the cold war. This legislation would enable the
National Park Service to work in partnership with the
Department of Energy to ensure the preservation of key
resources associated with the Manhattan Project and to increase
public awareness and understanding of this consequential event.
H.R. 1208 is based on the recommendations developed through
the special resource study for the Manhattan Project sites. It
was authorized by Congress in 2004 and transmitted to Congress
in July 2011. The study, which was conducted by the National
Park Service in consultation with the Department of Energy
determined that resources at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Hanford
met the National Park Service criteria of national significance
suitability, feasibility and the need for Federal management
for designation as a unit of the national park system.
H.R. 1208 assigns the respective roles and responsibility
of the National Park Service and the Department of Energy as
envisioned in the study. Basically, the National Park Service
would use its expertise in the areas of interpretation and
education to increase public awareness and understanding of
this story, while the Department of Energy would retain full
responsibility for our operations, maintenance, safe access and
preservation of the historic Manhattan Project properties
already under its jurisdiction.
We appreciate the language in the bill specifically
providing for amendments to a future agreement with the
Department of Energy and a broad range of authorities for the
Secretary of the Interior, as these provisions would give the
National Park Service flexibility to shape the park over time
and to maximize the promotion of education and interpretation
related to the Park's purpose.
We look forward to implementing this legislation in
partnership with the Department of Energy. While we support
H.R. 1208, there are some areas where we would like to
recommend amendments. Among our concerns to the bill language
are the bill language regarding the written consent of property
owners, land acquisition limitations and activities outside of
the park. We are continuing to review the bill for any
technical issues and we would be happy to work with the
Committee to develop appropriate language and will provide our
recommendations in the near future.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be
pleased to answer any questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Knox follows:]
Prepared Statement of Victor W. Knox, Associate Director, Park
Planning, Facilities, and Public Lands, National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the views of
the Department of the Interior on H.R. 1208, a bill to establish the
Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los
Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for other purposes.
The Administration supports H.R. 1208 with amendments. The
development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project was one of
the most transformative events in our Nation's history: it ushered in
the atomic age, changed the role of the United States in the world
community, and set the stage for the cold war. This legislation would
enable the National Park Service to work in partnership with the
Department of Energy to ensure the preservation of key resources
associated with the Manhattan Project and to increase public awareness
and understanding of this consequential effort.
H.R. 1208 would require the establishment of the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System within 1
year of enactment, during which time the Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Energy would enter into an agreement on the respective
roles of the two departments. The unit would consist of facilities and
areas located in Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Hanford, as identified in
the bill and determined by the Secretary of the Interior in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, except for the B Reactor
National Historic Landmark in Hanford, which would be required to be
included in the park. The National Historical Park would be established
by the Secretary of the Interior by publication of a Federal Register
notice within 30 days after the agreement is made between the two
secretaries.
The bill would also provide authority for the Secretary of the
Interior to enter into agreements with other Federal agencies to
provide public access to, and management, interpretation, and historic
preservation of, historically significant resources associated with the
Manhattan Project; to provide technical assistance for Manhattan
Project resources not included within the park; and to enter into
cooperative agreements and accept donations related to park purposes.
Additionally, it would allow the Secretary of the Interior to accept
donations or enter into agreements to provide visitor services and
administrative facilities within reasonable proximity to the park. The
Secretary of Energy would be authorized to accept donations to help
preserve and provide access to Manhattan Project resources.
H.R. 1208 is based on the recommendations developed through the
special resource study for the Manhattan Project Sites that was
authorized by Congress in 2004 and transmitted to Congress in July
2011. The study, which was conducted by the National Park Service in
consultation with the Department of Energy, determined that resources
at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Hanford, met the National Park Service's
criteria of national significance, suitability, feasibility, and the
need for Federal management for designation as a unit of the National
Park System. H.R. 1208 assigns the respective roles and
responsibilities of the National Park Service and the Department of
Energy as envisioned in the study; the National Park Service would use
its expertise in the areas of interpretation and education to increase
public awareness and understanding of the story, while the Department
of Energy would retain full responsibility for operations, maintenance,
safe access, and preservation of historic Manhattan Project properties
already under its jurisdiction along with full responsibility for any
environmental remediation that is deemed necessary related to the
properties to ensure public safety.
Because the Department of Energy would maintain and operate, as
they do currently, the primary facilities associated with the Manhattan
Project National Historical Park, the study estimated that the National
Park Service's annual operation and maintenance costs for the three
sites together would range from $2.45 million to $4 million. It also
estimated that completing the General Management Plan for the park
would cost an estimated $750,000. Costs of acquiring lands or interests
in land, or developing facilities, would be estimated during the
development of the General Management Plan. The Department of Energy
has not yet assessed fully the operational difficulties in terms of
security and public health and safety, applicable statutory and
regulatory requirements, and the potential new cost of national park
designation at the sensitive national security and cleanup sites, which
would be addressed with the context of the General Management Plan.
The Department anticipates that the initial agreement between the
two Departments likely would be fairly limited in scope, given the
bill's 1-year timeframe for executing an agreement that would enable
the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park. We appreciate the language specifically
providing for amendments to the agreement and a broad range of
authorities for the Secretary of the Interior, as these provisions
would give the National Park Service the flexibility to shape the park
over time and to maximize the promotion of education and interpretation
related to the park's purpose in coordination and consultation with the
Department of Energy.
The flexibility is particularly important because managing a park
with such complex resources, in partnership with another Federal
agency, at three sites across the country, will likely bring
unanticipated challenges. Some of the resources that may be included in
the park may be near facilities that have highly sensitive, ongoing
national security missions including nuclear weapons production and
intelligence activities. Also, some of these sites may be on the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. If this
legislation is enacted, these issues, among others, will be taken into
consideration by the Departments in the development of an agreement and
management plan. The National Park Service has already begun a
partnership with the Department of Energy regarding the Manhattan
Project resources through our coordinated work on the study. If this
legislation is enacted, we look forward to building a stronger
partnership that will enable us to meet the challenges ahead.
While we support H.R. 1208, there are some areas where we would
like to recommend amendments. Among our concerns are the bill language
regarding the written consent of owners; land acquisition limitations;
and activities outside of the park. We are continuing to review the
bill for any technical issues. We would be happy to work with the
committee to develop the appropriate language and will provide our
recommendations in the near future.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I would be happy to
answer any questions you may have.
______
Mr. Hastings. Thank you very much, Mr. Knox. By the way,
you can't transfer more time to another witness here.
Mr. Knox. Oh, I was hoping you could. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr. Hastings. I appreciate that very much. Next, I
recognize Mayor Steve Young from the City of Kennewick and my
home State of Washington.
Mayor Young, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. STEVEN C. YOUNG, MAYOR,
CITY OF KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON
Mr. Young. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank you and the Committee members for inviting
me to testify on House Resolution 1208, which is a bill to
establish the Manhattan Project National Historic Park in Oak
Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and, of course,
Hanford, Washington. But I would also like to thank Chairman
Doc Hastings and Representatives Ben Ray Lujan and Chuck
Fleischmann for co-sponsoring this bill.
My name is Steve Young. I am the Mayor of the City of
Kennewick, Washington. I am also Chairman of the Hanford
communities and Secretary to the Energy Communities Alliance,
and I am here speaking in favor of H.R. 1208 on behalf of the
Tri-Cities community of Washington State as well as in support
of community organizations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Los
Alamos, New Mexico. All three of our communities have passed
resolutions supporting the Manhattan Project National
Historical Park. And, since its inception we have been united
in our support of this bill.
It is easy for those of us who live in the communities of
Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Tri-Cities to say that the Manhattan
Project changed the world; but, on August 13, 1942, the
Manhattan Project was established under the command of Col.
Leslie Groves. Three years and 1 day later, August 14, 1945,
the war was done. Between those dates, more than 100,000 men
and women were brought to these three sites from all over the
world. A majority of these young men and women had no idea what
they were building. At Hanford, more than 2,000 residents,
mostly farmers, were given just days to weeks to move off their
land. This included moving, getting rid of thousands of
animals, all the farm equipment, and, most importantly, closing
schools and moving families lock, stock and barrel.
Once land was acquired by the Government, workers had to be
found, engineers, physicists, chemists, carpenters, et cetera.
Then, these same individuals first had to build their own town
dormitories, mess halls, water, sewer rows, infrastructure of
all kinds. This had to be done before they could even start
construction on the reactors, nuclear fuel manufacturing and
final chemical separation. At Hanford, the construction camp
quickly became the third largest city in the State of
Washington with 50,000 construction workers.
Hanford construction stretched the imagination, housing the
50,000 men and women, 386 miles of highway, 780,000 yards of
concrete, and 158 miles of new railroad track. All of this was
done without the aid of computers. These were the days of slide
rules and handcrafted blueprints, and yes, I remember those.
Equipment, electronics and piping could not be bought off the
shelf, and for the most part everything used had to be
fabricated on the Hanford site. The B reactor, itself, the
world's, first, full-scale nuclear reactor was built in just 11
months, start to finish.
The design was based on the success of Enrico Fermi's
Chicago Pile 1 and a pilot plant, the X-10 graphite reactor,
located in Oak Ridge Tennessee. B Reactor was designed to
produce 250 million watts, a million times more powerful than
Chicago Pile 1, which produced the first ever sustained nuclear
fission chain reaction under the bleachers at the University of
Chicago Staff Field in December of 1942.
Most importantly, the workers brought in to these three
sites were among the most talented in the respective fields,
whether it was physics or whether it was in pipe fitting. While
we recognize the names of Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer,
and Hans Bethe, we also need to give recognition to the many
individual workers, most of whom stayed on the job and in these
communities long after 1945. These are the engineering feats
and accomplishments that must be told to future generations and
it needs to be told before all of those old-timers are gone. As
these three sites, and Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Hanford are
being cleaned up and many buildings are demolished and removed,
the history of the scientific and engineering achievement at
the birth of the atomic age must be preserved.
Mr. Chairman, there is much more to my testimony, but my
clock is running out. Do you have a copy of this? I hate this
light, by the way.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Young follows:]
Prepared Statement of The Honorable Steve C. Young, Mayor,
City of Kennewick, Washington
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
I thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 1208, a bill to
establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford Washington. I also would
like to thank Chairman Doc Hastings, Representatives Ben Ray Lujan, and
Chuck Fleischmann for co-sponsoring this bill.
I am Steve Young, Mayor of the City of Kennewick, Washington,
speaking in favor of H.R. 5987 on behalf of the Tri-Cities Community in
Washington State, and in support of community organizations in Oak
Ridge, Tennessee and Los Alamos, New Mexico. All three of our
communities have passed resolutions supporting the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park, and we have been united in our support of
this bill.
Support for H.R. 5987
It is easy for those of us who live in the communities of Oak
Ridge, Los Alamos and the Tri-Cities to say that the Manhattan Project
changed the world.
On August 13, 1942 the Manhattan Project was established under the
command of Colonel Leslie R. Groves. Three years and 1 day later,
August 14, 1945, the War was done!
In between those dates, more than 100,000 men and women were
brought to these three sites from all over the world. The majority of
these young men and women had no idea what they were building.
At Hanford more than 2,000 residents--mostly farmers--were given
just days to weeks, to move off their land. This included moving,
getting rid of thousands of animals, all the farm equipment and most
importantly closing schools and moving families--lock-stock-and barrel!
Once the land was acquired by the Government, the workers had to be
found--engineers, physicists, chemists, carpenters, electricians, iron
workers, cement masons and a multitude of office workers, cooks,
guards, and truck drivers. Then these same individuals first had to
build their own town with dormitories, mess halls, water, sewer, roads
and railroads. This had to be done BEFORE they could start construction
on reactors, nuclear fuel manufacturing and chemical separations. At
Hanford the construction camp quickly became the third largest town in
the State of Washington, with 50,000 construction workers.
Hanford construction stretched the imagination. Housing for 50,000
men and women; 386 miles of highway (including Washington State's first
four-lane highway); 780,000 yards of concrete, and 158 miles of
railroad track.
All of this was done without the aid of computers! These were the
days of slide-rules and hand-crafted blueprints!
Equipment, electronics and piping could not be bought off-the
shelf. For the most part everything had to be fabricated on the Hanford
site.
B Reactor itself, the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor, was
built in just 11 months start-to-finish. The design was based on the
success of Enrico Fermi's ``Chicago Pile 1;'' and a pilot plant, the X-
10 graphite reactor located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. B Reactor was
designed to produce 250 million watts; a million times more powerful
than Chicago Pile 1, which produced the first ever sustained nuclear
fission chain reaction under the bleachers at the University of
Chicago's Staff Field in December of 1942.
Most of the workers brought in to these three sites were among the
most talented in their respective fields; whether it was physics, or
pipefitting. While we recognize the names of Enrico Fermi, J. Robert
Oppenheimer and Hans Bethe; we also need to give recognition to
individual workers, many of whom stayed on the job and in these
communities after 1945.
These are engineering feats and accomplishments that must be told
to future generations! And, it needs to be told before all of the
``old-timers'' are gone.
As these three sites in Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Hanford are being
cleaned up, and many buildings are demolished and removed; the history
of scientific and engineering achievement at the birth of the Atomic
Age must be preserved.
The National Park Service, as it does with all of its sites,
interprets the sites, and attempts to address ALL viewpoints to give a
full and fair picture. We support such actions. This will not be a park
that gives just a nuclear weapons viewpoint. We believe it is more
about the thousands of men and women who built buildings, equipment and
processes that became a turning point in the history of the United
States. The science of the Manhattan Project has transformed
contemporary society with significant contributions in fields such as
nuclear medicine, industrial isotopes, and nanotechnology. This
historic park will tell all sides of the story of what occurred at Oak
Ridge, Los Alamos and the Hanford/Tri-Cities area, as was identified in
the National Park Service Special Resource Study released last year.
Our three communities have collectively worked toward this
legislation for more than 3 years. Within the Tri-Cities an ad-hoc
group of TRIDEC, the Visitor & Convention Bureau, B Reactor Museum
Association and Hanford Communities led the charge. In this process, we
not only partnered with each other, but we also worked closely with the
Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Energy
Communities Alliance, the Atomic Heritage Foundation, the National
Parks Conservation Association, State Historical Preservation Officers,
and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
There is no question in our minds of the importance of creating
this new national park, nor of the public interest to view these former
``secret'' sites.
At Hanford, DOE hosted 8,000 visitors to B Reactor last year. These
visitors came from all 50 States, and from 48 foreign countries. These
numbers were the result of only ONE announcement by DOE that 8,000
seats to B Reactor would be open to the public last summer. The tours
filled in less than 5 hours. Last year DOE increased the number of
seats to 10,000. Unlike the National Park Service, DOE (except for one
single public announcement) does not advertise its tours.
These visitor numbers also clearly demonstrate that designating
these three sites as the Manhattan Project National Historical Park
will create jobs and provide an economic development benefit for all
three communities. Such designation will come at a time when all three
sites are seeing downturns in Federal employment as these sites are
being cleaned up. Cleaning up these sites, and opening them to public
viewing is of major importance to three communities that have been
supporting national missions since 1943.
The Manhattan Project National Historical Park at Oak Ridge, Los
Alamos and Hanford is critical to the preservation of one of our
Nation's most historic events of the 20th Century.
Our Tri-Cities community encourages you to move forward with this
legislation. We have unanimity with our sister communities in Oak Ridge
and Los Alamos that the Park should be established in the near term in
order to honor our Manhattan Project and Cold War veterans.
We urge Congress to pass this National Park legislation.
______
Mr. Hastings. Well, I thank the gentleman. As I said, your
full statement will appear in the record, and thank you very
much for your testimony.
Next, we go over to Mayor Beehan from the City of Oak Ridge
Tennessee. Mayor?
STATEMENT OF THE HON. THOMAS L. BEEHAN, MAYOR,
CITY OF OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, CHAIRMAN, ENERGY COMMUNITIES
ALLIANCE
Mr. Beehan. Chairman Hastings and members of the Committee,
I want to thank you for allowing me to testify on H.R. 1208. I
would also like to thank the co-sponsors of this bill,
yourself, Chairman Hastings, Rep. Fleischmann and Rep. Ben Ray
Lujan.
I have provided the Committee with a copy of my written
comments. I am Tom Beehan, the Mayor of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
and I am Chairman of the Energy Community Alliance. Our members
include local governments and other community organizations
from Oak Ridge to Los Alamos and the Tri-Cities area. The
testimony I will present to you today is on behalf of the City
of Oak Ridge in conjunction with the Energy Community Alliance;
but, I would also like to recognize many of the Energy
Community Alliance elected officials and partners who are here
today in the room and thank them for their support--glad
they're here.
First and most importantly I would like to stress that our
three communities are united in support of the passage of this
bill to establish the three-unit National Historical Park in
Tennessee, New Mexico and Washington. There is also bipartisan
support for this bill in the House and the Senate, and our
communities have been working for many years to preserve the
history of the Manhattan Project at our sites, and we feel that
now is the time to pass a bill that will lead to the
establishment of a national historical park. It is easy for
those of us who lived there in these communities to support the
Manhattan Project before it changed the world. It began in
great secrecy in 1942 and the original mission was established
and completed in August of 1947--I'm sorry--August of 1945 when
the Japanese surrendered.
The Manhattan Project is an incredible story and deserves
to be preserved and told. Let me be clear, however, and the
interpretation of these sites will be about giving current and
future generations an understanding of this indisputable
turning point in American and indeed world history. Despite
what some detractors may claim, this is not a park about
weapons. I believe this is a historical park about scientific,
energy and engineering accomplishments at a time when our
country was defending itself, both during World War II and the
cold war. This historic park will tell all sides of the story
at what occurred at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and the Tri-Cities,
and it has been identified in a National Park Service Special
Resource Study.
The National Park Service interprets all sites and attempts
to address all viewpoints to give a full and fair picture, and
we support these actions. According to the National Park Study,
cultural resources associated with the Manhattan Project are
not currently represented in the National Park System and
comparably managed areas are not protected. Further, including
the Manhattan related sites in the National Park System will
provide for comprehensive interpretation and public
understanding of this nationally significant story.
Last year, the ECA sponsored a trip to the Hanford site.
Our group toured the B Reactor in the world's first scale
production nuclear reactor. When visiting the B Reactor, one
really gets an appreciation for the potential of the site to
attract thousands of visitors a year. Already, a few public
tours are available for the B Reactor, and they fill up almost
immediately. In Oak Ridge we also have assets that are open to
visitors who want to get a glimpse of what life was like behind
the gate.
In 2011 around 8,000 people visited the graphic reactor at
ORNL, and close to 5,000 people came through the Y-12 New Hope
Center. Additional special tours are held each year during the
secret city festival, which attracts between 20,000 to 30,000
people. The historic, Alexander and key community asset is
being restored in the original town site of Oak Ridge. In Los
Alamos, the industrial laboratory work, such as the Gun Site
and the Little Boy are also there and can be visited.
Time is running out, so I am going to jump. The Manhattan
Project National Park is needed to preserve the history of the
most significant event in the 20th century. As you proceed, we
ask you to consider the following recommendations. Establish
the park to honor our veterans who are still with us; protect
the ongoing mission of DOE; authorize user entrance fees;
donation authority should be broad. All inclusion of Nationally
significant sites: We need to be flexible to permit the
National Park Service to work with our communities to be able
to add sites that are nationally significant and suitable for
inclusion in the Park.
Thank you for allowing me to testify.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Beehan follows:]
Prepared Statement of The Honorable Thomas L. Beehan, Mayor, City of
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Chairman, Energy Communities Alliance
Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva and members of the
Committee, I thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 1208, a bill
To Establish the Manhattan Project National Park in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for
other purposes. I would also like to thank the co-sponsors of this
bill: Representative Doc Hastings, Representative Chuck Fleischmann and
Representative Ben Ray Lujan. I am Tom Beehan, the Mayor of the City of
Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the Chairman of the Energy Communities
Alliance (ECA), the association of local governments that are adjacent
to, impacted by, or support Department of Energy (DOE) activities. Our
members include local governments and other community organizations
from the Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and the Tri-Cities (Hanford) areas, and
all three communities have passed resolutions supporting the Manhattan
Project National Historical Park. The testimony I will present to you
today is on behalf of the City of Oak Ridge in conjunction with the
Energy Communities Alliance.
The City of Oak Ridge and the Energy Communities Alliance Support the
Bill To Establish the Manhattan Project National Historical
Park in Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Hanford
First, and most importantly, I would like to stress that all three
of our communities are united in our support for the passage of this
bill to establish a 3-unit National Historical Park in Tennessee, New
Mexico and Washington. There is also bi-partisan support for this bill
from the Senators and Members of Congress from all three of our States.
Our communities have been working for many years to preserve the
history of the Manhattan Project at our sites, and we feel that now is
the time to pass a bill that will lead to the establishment of a
National Historical Park. In addition, there is support for both bills
among the State and local elected officials, historic preservation
organizations, National Park Service officials, Department of Energy
officials, business leaders, environmental cleanup advocates, chambers
of commerce, museum officials, librarians and many others.
Among the biggest advocates of the National Historical Park are the
people who worked at the three sites during World War II. It is
important to remember that no one in our country knew what the workers
were building at the sites--they were truly ``Secret Cities.'' Most of
the young men and women working in these communities did not even know
what the project was. These were among the nation's best and brightest
citizens from all walks of life.
National Historical Parks are developed to ensure that we preserve
our country's assets and open them to the public to learn about our
Nation's history. We should work to open this park while some of the
Manhattan Project Veterans are still alive and able to see their work
recognized by our Nation. These people played a valuable role in ending
World War II and defending not only the United States but also
democracies throughout the world. They are every bit as important to
telling the story of the Manhattan Project as are our buildings and
equipment. These true heroes, who dedicated their wartime service to
the Manhattan Project, appreciate the legislation developed by your
committee.
The Important History of the Manhattan Project Sites Must Be Preserved
As an expert panel of historians reported in 2001, the top-secret
Manhattan Project program during World War II, centered in Los Alamos,
NM, Oak Ridge, TN, and Hanford, WA, has been called ``the single most
significant event of the 20th century.'' Operating from December 1942
until September 1945, the Manhattan Project was a $2.2 billion effort
that employed 130,000 workers at its peak, but was kept secret and out
of public view.
It is easy for those of us who live in the communities of Oak
Ridge, Los Alamos and the Tri-Cities to say that the Manhattan Project
changed the world. The Manhattan Project began in great secrecy in
1942, and the original mission was essentially completed by August of
1945 when the Japanese surrendered. The engineering and construction
feats of the more than 100,000 men and women who were brought to these
three sites from all over the world to build and operate first-of-a-
kind nuclear plants, is an incredible story that deserves to be
preserved and told.
On August 13, 1942 at the direction of FDR, the Manhattan Engineer
District was established under the command of Colonel Leslie R. Groves.
By September of 1942 Groves selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee as the site
for uranium isotope separation. In November 1942 Los Alamos was chosen
as the laboratory to build the integral parts, under the direction of
J. Robert Oppenheimer. And in January 1943 Hanford was selected for
plutonium production. In 1945, just three years after the start of the
project, the war with Japan was over. This was an incredible wartime
achievement.
In today's world, it is mind-boggling to think of what happened in
these 3 short years. First, the actual land had to be acquired and
existing homes and landowners had to be relocated. Then, workers of all
types had to be recruited--engineers, physicists, chemists,
mathematicians, as well as carpenters, electricians, iron workers,
cement masons, and a multitude of office workers, cooks, guards and
truck drivers. These individuals had to first build their own towns
with dormitories and barracks, mess halls, utilities, roads, railroads,
and even shower houses. Now almost 70 years later, these sites are
being reindustrialized, and many ancillary buildings have been
demolished and removed. The history of these human scientific and
engineering achievements at the birth of the Atomic Age must be
interpreted and preserved.
Let me be clear, interpretation at these sites will be about giving
current and future generations an understanding of this indisputable
turning point in American, and indeed world history. Despite what some
detractors may claim, this is not a park about weapons. I believe this
Historical Park is about the feats of scientific and engineering
accomplishments developed at a time when our country was defending
itself, both during World War II and the cold war. The construction and
operation of the first generation reactors in total secrecy was an
astounding development. Now, the science of the Manhattan Project has
transformed contemporary society with significant contributions in
fields such as nuclear medicine and nanotechnology. This Historical
Park will tell all sides of the story of what occurred at Oak Ridge,
Los Alamos and the Tri-cities, as has been identified in the National
Park Service Special Resource Study released in 2011. The National Park
Service interprets all sites and attempts to address all viewpoints to
give a full and fair picture, and we support such actions. Most
importantly, the Park will tell one of the most important stories of
how Americans from all walks of life came together, formed a community,
and dedicated themselves to protecting all that we hold dear in this
country.
Background of Legislation
The National Park Service, at the direction of Congress, conducted
a special resource study on several Manhattan Project sites for
possible inclusion in the National Park System. The study recommends
that the best way to preserve and interpret the Manhattan Project is
for Congress to establish a national historical park at the three sites
where a majority of the key scientific activity associated with the
project occurred: Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Hanford. The study
acknowledged the significant Department of Energy investment in
preservation of its assets, which played a role in the Park Service
recommendation to proceed with a park designation. The DOE support
provides the foundation for National Park Service interpretation of
these assets for the public to see.
According to the National Park Service study, ``Cultural resources
associated with the Manhattan Project are not currently represented in
the national park system, and comparably managed areas are not
protected . . . the comprehensive story of the nationally significant
Manhattan Project is not told anywhere . . . Including Manhattan
Project-related sites in the national park system will provide for
comprehensive interpretation and public understanding of this
nationally significant story in 20th century American history.''
Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, the Tri-Cities Communities Are Committed To
Working Together To Establish a National Historical Park
Since the Department of Interior's final study and recommendation
was announced in July 2011, our State, city and county officials,
business leaders, historical societies and groups, various community
groups and individuals in our communities and throughout the country
have been working diligently with you and your staffs to support this
legislative process; and we come here to support the legislation
introduced in both the Senate and the House.
Many of us participated in Energy Communities Alliance ``Peer
Exchange'' meetings in Richland, Washington and in Los Alamos, New
Mexico to discuss many of the issues surrounding the establishment of a
National Historical Park at our sites. Our organization plans to visit
Oak Ridge, Tennessee this year to discuss the topic further. At these
meetings, all the participants stressed the need to work together to
get this park established. The three communities have not only
partnered together to work on this important initiative, but we have
also worked with DOE, the Department of the Interior, State Historical
Preservation Officers, The National Trust for Historic Preservation,
the National Parks Conservation Association, the Atomic Heritage
Foundation and many others to support the establishment of a National
Park Unit at ours sites.
While in Richland, our group toured the B Reactor, the incredible
engineering accomplishment that is the world's first full scale
production nuclear reactor. The B Reactor was built in just 11 months.
The design was based on the success of Enrico Fermi's ``Chicago Pile
1'' and a pilot plant, the X-10 Graphite Reactor, located at what is
now the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This tour provided the potential
experience that a visitor to a National Park would have when visiting
the site, and the National Park Service has not even started their
interpretative work. When visiting the B Reactor, one really gets an
appreciation for the potential of the site to attract thousands of
visitors a year. Already the few public tours that are available for
the B Reactor fill up almost as soon as they become available. Last
year, more than 8,000 seats were filled in less than 5 hours. This year
more than 10,000 people will go on the tour. The B Reactor has had
visitors from all 50 States and 48 countries.
Oak Ridge has many assets that are open to visitors and community
members who want to learn more and get a glimpse of what life was like
``behind the gate''. The Department of Energy Facilities Public Bus
Tours, held from June through August each summer, highlight the
Graphite Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the New Hope
Center at Y-12, the DOE operated American Museum of Science and Energy,
and portions of the City of Oak Ridge, where housing and other
structures from the Manhattan Project era remain. In 2011, around 8,000
people visited the Graphite Reactor at ORNL and close to 5,000 people
came through the Y-12 New Hope Center. Additional special tours of
these facilities, along with the Y-12 facility are held each year
during the ``Secret City Festival,'' which attracts between 20,000-
30,000 people. These tours are one of the most popular events during
the festival weekend and over 700 people recently participated in the
tour in a single day. The historical Alexander Inn Guest House, a key
community asset, is being restored in the original townsite of Oak
Ridge.
In Los Alamos, our group got to tour the site where the industrial
work at the laboratory was on a smaller scale than at Oak Ridge or
Hanford. Properties, such as the Gun Site, where the work on Little Boy
was done, and at the V Site, where work on the ``Gadget'' was
accomplished, allowed us to get a sense of the ``can-do'' spirit of the
scientists and technicians who had to make do in make-shift buildings
with some rather creative equipment. We are confident the Department of
Energy and Department of the Interior can work out visitor access
issues to these sites. At the same time, in the Los Alamos' historic
center, visitors can walk the same paths as the giants of 20th century
physicists, and see the homes where J. Robert Oppenheimer, Hans Bethe,
and other talented scientists once lived and socialized.
Recommendations
The Manhattan Project National Historical Park is needed to
preserve the history of the most significant event of the 20th century.
As you proceed, we ask that you consider the following recommendations:
Establish the Park Now to Honor Our Manhattan Project
Veterans. There is unanimity among the three communities that the Park
should be established in the near term in order to honor our Manhattan
Project and cold war veterans.
Protect ongoing Missions of DOE. We support legislative
language that protects the ongoing missions of DOE, and recognize the
need for appropriate flexibility in the partnership among the
stakeholders.
Authorize User/Entrance Fees. Although the legislation
should recognize DOE's responsibility to maintain its assets,
authorization for a modest entry/user fee should be included to assist
in the long term stewardship of non-DOE-owned assets.
Donations authority should be broad. We want to ensure
that the National Park is permitted to accept both personal property
and financial donations to support the park and the tours of the sites.
Allow inclusion of Nationally Significant Sites. We need
flexibility to permit the NPS to work with communities to be able to
add sites that are nationally significant and suitable for inclusion in
the Historical Park.
Conclusion
In closing, we believe the proposed Historical Park will serve as a
21st century model for the National Park Service, or as the National
Park Service study calls it ``A new innovative Manhattan Project
National Historical Park,'' one that is based on Federal, State and
community partnerships. We look forward to working with you, and urge
that this Congress pass this National Park legislation. The City of Oak
Ridge supports this important legislation H.R. 1208. We thank you and
the full committee for your leadership and support.
______
Mr. Hastings. Mayor Beehan, thank you very much for your
testimony.
And, last, and certainly not least, Fran Berting, who is
the County Councilor for the County of Los Alamos in New
Mexico, as I mentioned in my introduction of former residents
of the Tri-Cities.
STATEMENT OF FRAN BERTING, COUNTY COUNCILOR, THE INCORPORATED
COUNTY OF LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
Ms. Berting. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good morning,
Chairman Hastings.
Mr. Hastings. Can you move that microphone a little bit
closer to you?
Ms. Berting. Is that better?
Mr. Hastings. That's better. Thank you.
Ms. Berting. OK. Very good.
Well, good morning, again, Chairman Hastings and Ranking
Member Grijalva and distinguished members of the Committee. I
would like, first of all, to thank the co-sponsors of bill H.R.
1208, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, yourself Rep. Doc Hastings, and Rep.
Chuck Fleischmann.
I am Fran Berting, County Counselor for the incorporated
county of Los Alamos, and Treasurer of the Energy Community
Alliance, also representing ECA. I am presenting this testimony
on behalf of the County of Los Alamos and Los Alamos Historical
Society, both of which heartily support H.R. 1208.
The key points of my testimony are: (1) the Manhattan
Project was one of the most significant historical events of
the 20th century, if not the most significant, considering its
worldwide ramifications; (2) throughout northern New Mexico
there is broad support to establish a national park unit in Los
Alamos, our County and many other groups have been working
cooperatively to bring about the legislation in the
establishment of the park; (3) the park will have a positive
economic impact on the region in addition to the tourism; and
(4) for a park to be born, we need legislation, and legislation
that allows for partnerships among Federal agencies, community
groups, individuals and others.
At its heart, the story of the Manhattan Project is an
amazing episode of our Nation's history and that of the world.
It brought together the brightest scientists, many of them
immigrants who came to this country seeking freedom. They face
pressures to end World War II by creating something that had
only existed in theory. The story of making theory, of taking
theory to the instrument that brought the war with Japan to an
end must be told. Tied together under the auspices of a
national park, the Manhattan Project industrial sites in Los
Alamos, Oak Ridge and Hanford, along with the places where
soldiers and scientists lived and formed communities, will
create a full picture of the history.
In some we look forward to sharing our stories with the
many visitors a national historical park will bring. These
stories will benefit from the balanced interpretation provided
by the National Park Service. We are heartened to see the
Department of Energy working with the Department of the
Interior and many other partners to make this world changing
history accessible. So we thank you for your leadership and
support, and thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to
testify.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Berting follows:]
Prepared Statement of Fran Berting, County Councilor, The Incorporated
County of Los Alamos, New Mexico
Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva and Members of the
Committee, I thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 1208, a bill
To Establish the Manhattan Project National Park in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for
other purposes. I would also like to thank the co-sponsors of this
bill: Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Representative Doc Hastings, and
Representative Chuck Fleischmann. I am Fran Berting, and I serve as a
County Councilor for the Incorporated County of Los Alamos. I will
present this testimony on behalf of the Incorporated County of Los
Alamos in conjunction with the Los Alamos Historical Society.\1\ Both
the Incorporated County of Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Historical
Society support H.R. 1208.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Los Alamos Historical Society is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to preserve, promote, and communicate the remarkable
history and inspiring stories of Los Alamos and its people for our
community, for the global audience, and for future generations. Among
its many activities, the Historical Society operates the Los Alamos
Historical Museum and owns, in a life trust, the World War II home of
Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the Manhattan
Project. As the owner of this home in the Los Alamos Historic District,
the Historical Society is the property owner within the potential
boundary of the park. Additionally, helping to establish the Manhattan
Project National Historical Park is one of seven planks the Historical
Society's strategic plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The key points of my testimony are:
1. The Manhattan Project has been described as one of the most
significant historical events of the 20th century and therefore the key
sites at Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Hanford should be preserved in a
National Historical Park.
2. Throughout northern New Mexico, there is broad support to
establish a National Park unit at Los Alamos. Our County and many other
groups have been working cooperatively to support this legislation and
the establishment of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
3. Establishment of a National Park unit at Los Alamos will have a
positive impact on the citizens and economy of northern New Mexico.
4. For a Manhattan Project National Historical Park to be
successful, we need legislation that allows for partnerships among
Federal agencies, community groups, individuals and others.
Due to Their Historical Significance, the Manhattan Project Sites
Should Be Preserved in a National Historical Park
Historians have called the Manhattan Project the most significant
undertaking of the 20th century. Employing hundreds of thousands at its
peak, located in widely scattered, secret communities, the project
brought an end to World War II and ushered in the atomic age. The
Incorporated County of Los Alamos is pleased to support H.R. 1208, a
bill to establish the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los
Alamos, New Mexico and Hanford, Washington.
At its heart, the story of the Manhattan Project is an amazing
episode of our great Nation's history. It brought together the
brightest scientists, many of them immigrants who came to this country
seeking freedom. They faced pressure to end the world's most horrible
war by creating something that had only existed in theory. The
Manhattan Project is a story about young people with a can-do spirit
who brought about a great technological achievement. It is the story of
unleashing a mysterious force of nature and of fostering fear and
uncertainty about the future of humankind. It is a story about
creativity. It is a scientific story, a soldier's story, a spy story,
and a human story. The story of the Manhattan Project is one that, from
the perspectives of all who participated and all who were affected,
must be told.
The County and the Historical Society fully support this bill's
efforts to ``enhance the protection and preservation of such resources
and provide for comprehensive interpretation and public understanding
of this nationally significant story in 20th century American
history.''
Tied together under the auspices of a national park, the Manhattan
Project industrial sites in Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Hanford, along
with the places where soldiers and scientists lived and formed
communities, will create a full picture of the history.
Some critics have said that a national park dedicated to the
Manhattan Project will glorify the atomic bomb or create a theme park
for weapons of mass destruction. We disagree. The National Park
Service, of all government agencies, is the most trusted for telling
complete stories from all sides--the good and bad, the painful and the
poignant. Parks and monuments that commemorate battles or massacres do
not celebrate ugly moments in American history. They teach about them;
they help us, as a nation, to reflect and learn. The Nation needs to
understand the Manhattan Project from all sides.
There is Broad Support for This Bill Throughout Los Alamos County and
Our Region
In 2007, recognizing the impact of a possible national park on our
community, our County Council appointed an ad hoc committee to
determine what such a park might look like in Los Alamos. The details
of the committee recommendations are attached to this testimony as
``Attachment A.'' In summary, the committee envisioned a downtown
national park visitor center where guests would learn about the
Manhattan Project and then be sent to existing venues to learn more, a
recommendation the National Park Service adopted in its final report to
Congress.
The communities called out in this legislation--Los Alamos, Oak
Ridge, and Hanford--fully support this park. In 2008, the ad hoc
committee held public meetings in Los Alamos as well as meetings with
potential partners, from tour guides to the nearby pueblos. After some
initial--and false--concern that the park service might take over the
iconic Fuller Lodge in downtown Los Alamos as a park headquarters was
resolved, the community came out fully in support of the park. The
County Council passed a resolution to that effect in February 2010 (see
``Attachment B''). We have had several meetings with our counterparts
in Hanford and Oak Ridge to discuss park possibilities. In short, we
are excited about this park and are happy to assist the Department of
the Interior, the Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory,
and others to make it happen. We believe it will be a benefit not only
to Los Alamos but to nearby communities, as well.
A Manhattan Project National Historical Park Unit at Los Alamos Will
Provide Economic Benefits to Northern New Mexico
With, by the Park Services own estimate, hundreds of thousands of
additional annual visitors the Manhattan Project National Historical
Park will provide economic benefits to northern New Mexico. The region
will need workers not only in tourism and service industries but in
construction and other related industries to support the Park.
As the ad hoc committee suggested, the story of the Manhattan
Project isn't just about world-class scientists. The story includes
people from the rural communities and pueblos surrounding Los Alamos,
mostly Native Americans and Hispanics, who provided the backbone of a
labor force that built and maintained the laboratories and facilities,
cleaned the houses, and drove the trucks. The Manhattan Project forever
changed rustic northern New Mexico. In fact, the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park will, once again, transform these communities,
creating an economic driver based on heritage tourism that provides
jobs, educational opportunities, and improved futures to traditionally
under-served communities.
Legislation Must Allow for Partnerships Among Federal Agencies,
Communities, Historical Societies and Other Interested
Organizations and Individuals
Finally, we appreciate with enthusiasm the statement in Section 3
of this bill that one purpose of the park is ``to assist the Department
of Energy, Historical Park communities, historical societies, and other
interested organizations and individuals in efforts to preserve and
protect the historically significant resources associated with the
Manhattan Project.'' Protecting these resources is something the Los
Alamos Historical Society has been working on for nearly 50 years.
Partnerships and cooperative agreements between Federal agencies, local
governments, non-profit groups, and even private property owners will
make this park happen, bringing together widespread resources for the
benefit of our Nation as the Manhattan Project did years ago.
Again, I urge you to view the recommendations from the ad hoc
committee, specifically the section about partnerships. Manhattan
Project resources, from museums to the laboratory and from tour guides
to the famous ``gatekeeper'' office at 109 E. Palace Avenue in Santa
Fe, are dispersed and disorganized when it comes to the theme of
Manhattan Project history. The national park will bring these resources
together, along with those of Hanford and Oak Ridge, for visitors to
understand a bigger picture.
We are also especially pleased to see in the final section of the
bill that both the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Energy will be able to accept monetary or service donations for the
park. This is particularly important to restoration work at Los Alamos
National Laboratory and will assist the lab in preserving a significant
historic site. One individual has been waiting in the wings for years
to donate to the site's restoration but has had no mechanism for giving
the money. The park will allow this preservation project to take place.
Conclusion
In sum, we look forward to sharing our stories with the many
visitors a national historical park will bring in addition to sharing
our resources with the National Park Service to assist in creation of
the park. Along with many community partners who have worked on this
project, the Incorporated County of Los Alamos in conjunction with the
Los Alamos Historical Society supports the establishment of the
Manhattan Project National Historical Park in order to preserve and
teach this important history. We have also briefed the Regional
Coalition of LANL Communities and they support our efforts. The park
has tremendous support in our community. We believe it will have
economic benefit to northern New Mexico. We are heartened to see the
Department of Energy willing to work with the Department of Interior
and other partners to make this world-changing history accessible. We
thank you for your leadership and support.
ATTACHMENT A
Recommendations to the Los Alamos County Council From the Manhattan
Project National Historical Park (MPNHP) Ad Hoc Committee 04/02/2008
I. Purpose
In 2004, Congress approved and the President signed legislation
directing the NPS to conduct a special resource study to determine the
national significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating one
or more historic sites of the Manhattan Project for potential inclusion
in the National Park System. This park could include non-contiguous
sites in Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and Dayton. The NPS held
meetings in each of the communities during the spring and summer of
2006 to gather public input.
In August 2007, Los Alamos County Council approved the
establishment of an ad hoc committee to help determine what the
proposed non-contiguous Manhattan Project National Historical Park
might look like in Los Alamos. This committee is comprised of
representatives involved in historic preservation and tourism from
throughout the community, including Los Alamos National Laboratory
(LANL). After approval by Council, the committee will present its plan
to NPS representatives when they come to Los Alamos for a second round
of community meetings in 2008.
II. Committee Conduct
The committee began meeting bi-weekly in August 2007 and discussed
several ideas, such as what ``attractions'' might be included in a
national park and who locally might participate. These ideas were
expanded upon and refined over time. A great deal of Manhattan Project
history has already been preserved in our community in places such as
the Los Alamos Historical Museum, the Bradbury Science Museum, and the
Oppenheimer House. The committee members do not believe that the NPS
needs to ``reinvent the wheel.''
In October, the committee took a special ``behind the fence'' tour
of sites at LANL which may be included in the park, either as part of
periodic tours or which may be open to more public access in the
future.
On Nov. 6 and 9, the committee held meetings by invitation and word
of mouth for potential partners in the park. Approximately 15 people
attended the first meeting and 10 attended the second. At both
meetings, ad hoc committee members shared their vision for the park
site (see III. below) Most of these potential partners were intrigued
with the idea of a Manhattan Project National Historical Park within
the community and looked forward to getting more information from the
NPS.
On November 13, the committee held an advertised public meeting in
Fuller Lodge to discuss this vision for the park. Another 15 people
attended and added to the committee's ideas.
Based on input from these meetings, the committee has refined its
vision and proposes the following:
III. Park Vision
A. Centralized Park Headquarters: At a central Visitor Center,
which would include information and interpretation, a Park Ranger would
greet visitors, tell them about the National Park and then direct them
to other sites in the area where they would be able to see tangible
historical sites and objects from the Manhattan Project (Ashley Pond,
Lamy Train Station) as well as interpretation and information that is
already taking place in the community (LA Historical Museum, Bradbury
Science Museum).
B. Tours
a. Guided and Self-Guided: These would include ranger-guided
walking tours through the downtown historic district and other sites;
driving and walking audio tours; as well as guided tours that would
show visitors accessible areas of LANL, historic downtown, the old Main
Gate location, and other sites.
b. LANL: With approval and coordination of LANL and the Department
of Energy officials, periodic ``Behind the Fence Tours'' to V-Site, Gun
Site, and other restored Manhattan Project-era buildings, similar to
the tours held at Trinity Site.
C. Partners
Potential partners in this project are those who own, maintain or
have some other association (such as tourist services or items) with
tangible historical objects or buildings from the Manhattan Project--
something that will enhance visitors' experiences and increase their
understanding of this time in history. The lists below are not all-
inclusive.
D. Potential Themes of Interpretation
1. People/Social History
a. Scientists and their families
b. Military
i. In Los Alamos (SEDs, MPs, etc.)
ii. In the Pacific, including POWs
c. Local Pueblo and Hispanic populations whose lives were
affected and who were an essential part of the project (stet)
d. Local historical figures such as Edith Warner, Dorothy
McKibbin, Evelyn Frey
e. Stories of people affected by the bombings, both American
and Japanese
f. Responses to the bomb
2. Science
a. Bradbury Science Museum
3. Impacts
a. Science
b. Northern New Mexico
c. Military
d. International Relations
e. Cold War
f. Environmental/Health
g. Government
i. Civilian control of nuclear resources (AEC, DOE)
ii. The growth of government-run, multi-disciplinary
science labs
4. Growth of the town of Los Alamos
5. What happened to people after the war?
E. Potential Visitor Sites
1. Local
a. The Los Alamos Historical Museum
b. The Bradbury Science Museum
c. Oppenheimer House
d. Ashley Pond
e. Ice House Memorial
f. Fuller Lodge
g. Historic Walking Tour of Bathtub Row
h. Periodic ``Behind the Fence'' Tours to V-Site, Gun Site, and
other restored Manhattan-era buildings at LANL
i. Unitarian Church (former dorm)
j. Little Theater (former Rec Hall)
k. Christian Science Church (former dorm)
l. Hill Diner (WWII-era building)
m. Main Hill Road/Main Gate area
n. Last Sundt apartment building in Los Alamos (Dentist office
on Trinity)
o. Crossroads Bible Church (WWII-era Theater)
2. Nearby
a. Bandelier National Monument
b. Pajarito Mountain Ski Area
c. Valles Caldera
d. Otowi Bridge
e. Sundt apartments in Espanola on Railroad Avenue
3. Santa Fe
a. 109 E. Palace Ave.
b. La Fonda
c. Lamy Train Station
d. Delgado Street Bridge and other spy-related sites
4. Albuquerque
a. Oxnard Air Field (Kirtland AFB)
b. National Atomic Museum
5. Future considerations
a. Sculptures, outdoor art, and other monuments to the
Manhattan Project era that are currently under consideration
______
Mr. Hastings. Thank you very much, Ms. Berting. I
appreciate your testimony and I appreciate all of your
testimony. I only have a few questions, and I'll recognize
myself first.
Mr. Knox, I mentioned in my opening statement that the bill
did pass out of committee, but it failed under the procedural
Rule getting two-thirds vote on the House. Part of that was the
debate. I didn't agree with that portion of the debate that was
opposed to it; and the portion of the debate I didn't agree
with was that this legislation would glorify atomic weapons.
Give me your thoughts on that observation.
Mr. Knox. Yes. The National Park Service from our
perspective; we don't see the purpose here at all to be
glorifying nuclear weapons. It's about an event--the Manhattan
Project--that changed the history of the United States and of
the world. And telling that story, and telling all sides of
that story, and we do that in the National Park System at other
places.
At Manzanar Internment Camp in California we tell the story
of the Japanese Internment in World War II. At Andersonville in
Georgia, we talk about that POW Camp that existed during the
Civil War and the conditions that were there. At the Sand Creek
Massacre site in Colorado we talk about the massacre of Indians
during the 19th century. Those are not all events that we're
entirely proud of as a nation, but they're events we need to
learn from, and that's what we try and do from the National
Parks, which is tell the whole story.
Mr. Hastings. Well, I appreciate that, because I had a
conversation with the member who is no longer here on that. I
just respectfully disagreed with his position, but he made his
position known; and, as a result, we didn't get the two-thirds
vote at that particular time.
I just want to mention Mayor Young pointed out how quickly
this came together. To build a nuclear reactor in 11 months is
absolutely remarkable. You couldn't do it today; and it was
done then because we were in a war effort. And the only mission
we have at Hanford right now is to clean up the legacy, and we
are in defense production in Hanford until the late 1980s.
But just to give you an idea of the complexity of building
nuclear weapons and the process that goes in there, a lot of
the waste, a majority of the waste, I should say, in developing
these nuclear weapons, is stored now in Hanford in underground
tanks. And you might have heard some of the tanks have leaked.
We've known that, going back for some 30 years. But because
they're underground, people have a hard time quantifying how
much we're really talking about. And there's 53 million gallons
of hazardous/radioactive waste that's stored underground at
Hanford.
To put it in a context that we all understand, if you were
to put those 53 million gallons in a facility here that we all
know about, like the House chamber, it would make up over 20
House chambers. That's how much 53 million gallons is, and
that's the legacy there that we need to clean up, and that's
why Yucca Mountain is so important in this whole process, and
that's why WIPP is important in New Mexico for this whole
process.
But over 20 House chambers of radioactive/nuclear waste is
what is stored underground next to the Columbia River in my
State of Washington. And that's why the clean-up of this is so
important. But the legacy--let's not lose site of the legacy.
The legacy was we didn't know if we were going to win that war.
We thought that Nazi Germany was ahead of us, and we had to
move as quickly as we possibly could in order to achieve what
we did do. And, by the way, we won the Second World War and we
won the cold war, largely, because of the efforts of these
communities.
At this time I recognize the distinguished Ranking Member
of the Committee, Mr. Grijalva.
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and you
asked the question that I was going to ask about the discussion
last time and the debate last time over the glorification issue
and the impact of what this program and what this designation
meant. And I appreciate the answers that were just given to us.
I thought I got caught up in that debate at a late moment
when people weren't able to react to it and that it was also
this legislation was caught up in a debate unrelated on another
item unrelated to this issue. And I appreciate these answers
about what the interpretation is and what it has been for the
Park Service and all of its sites.
Ms. Berting, if I may, last Congress, the New Mexico
Historical Society, expressed concerns with language in the
legislation and I have heard it from other witnesses:
preventing the Park Service from using Federal funds for
acquisition of additional property. This was particularly a
concern around Los Alamos. Is that concern still a valid one
with the society as far as you can relate to us?
Ms. Berting. I haven't heard that particular argument, as a
matter of fact. There were other concerns about whether the
land to be acquired had permission from the landowner and that
sort of thing. So I do think there is concern having to do with
Federal dollars, particularly at this point, but that has not
been raised as an issue against the park to my knowledge.
Mr. Grijalva. OK. I appreciate that.
Mayor Young, the Chairman began with the point you made
about the storage of the nuclear waste. I think the article
that appeared in the New York Times pointing out potential
problems and consequences that resulted in those problems, and
some of those consequences they pointed out were dire to say
the least, at least in that article.
Do we need to be concerned that the safety issues that are
being talked about by that advisory committee on the waste
treatment plant could impact visitors to the B Reactor?
Mr. Young. Yes. That is an excellent question and it is a
simple answer of no. We monitor those tanks daily by the hour;
we know where the leaks are. We know where it is progressing.
All of these tanks are underground. There is no impact to the
air at all, and the travel between B Reactor and the old city
site and Bruggemann Warehouse is all way outside of those tank
farms. So there would be no threat to the public.
In fact, we have had the public traveling in and out of
there viewing these marvelous sites for quite some time now;
but, no. We test the air daily. We know exactly what's out
there and we have had no problems.
Mr. Grijalva. Excuse me. You are talking specifically about
the waste treatment plant. Correct?
Mr. Young. Yes, the waste treatment plant. Yes, absolutely;
so, we again, the National Park area itself would be quite a
distance from the tank farms and it would also be a safe
traveled area.
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I have no
other questions other than a disagreement with your analogy
example of taking all those barrels of waste, and it would be
like 20 times the size of the House chamber, given, on
occasion, the already radioactive quality to that chamber.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Grijalva. It might be creating some other situation
that I wouldn't want to deal with, but with that I yield back.
Mr. Hastings. Will the Chairman yield to me before?
Mr. Grijalva. Absolutely.
Mr. Hastings. Well, I would just say that perhaps there is
some radioactivity on some sides of the House chamber and not
on others, but I won't go into that detail.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Hastings. The gentleman's point is well taken.
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Hastings. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California, Mr. LaMalfa.
Mr. LaMalfa. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks for
allowing me to have a moment here; just a couple sentiments
here. First, I thank the Chairman for finding this a creative
way to make a good thing happen, and a good thing to
acknowledge in our history. Not all of our parks get to
acknowledge and remember good things in our past. This could be
seen as a mixed bag in how our country came together in order
to find a way to solve the war at that time.
Again, that could be taken in a lot of ways, but it was
certainly the country coming together doing a pretty amazing
thing in that project. And so the Chairman's method here of
something that would actually cost us a lot more to recover
instead of making this an example of something that people can
see as a tourist attraction and a learning experience.
I read a lot about the Manhattan Project as a junior high
kid when I read a lot about World War II as well, so I think it
can be a great experience for us to know and understand, and
something to think about in the future of why we don't want to
use these in future conflicts. But I also appreciate Mayor
Young's comment on the red lights here. I hate them in traffic,
if you ever try and drive through this town or home. But
they're the only way we can get anything done in this place,
thankfully, especially when we are talking about member
conversations.
But I think this is a great measure here to have this bit
of tourism and taking this asset, and have it be an asset
instead of actually bear cost on recovery of what it would take
to do the clean-up side, the recovery side. So I support what
you're trying to do and appreciate your efforts, Mr. Chairman.
So thank you. Thank you all for coming way out here and I
appreciate you all doing this. Thank you.
Mr. Hastings. The gentleman yields back. The gentleman from
Northern Marianas, Mr. Sablan.
Mr. Sablan. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and
good morning everyone.
Mr. Chairman, I know how much effort you have given to H.R.
1208, and I am sure we all recognize the historical
significance of the Manhattan Project and the importance of
protecting events associated with the development of the bomb.
And so I fully support the bill, but the story of the atomic
bomb will not be complete.
In fact, the bomb would never have ended World War II in
the Pacific without the contribution of those areas of our
country where delivery was perfected and from where the bombs
were launched against Japan. I am speaking of Wendover Air
Force Base in Yucca, where Col. Paul Tibbets was school trained
in the B29 super fortresses for their historic flights. And I
am speaking of the air fields in the Northern Mariana Islands
and final assembly where arming of this weapon took place. From
here, the Enola Gay took off carrying the weapon that was
dropped on Hiroshima, and later box car carrying the bomb to
Nagasaki.
Without the work that went on at this site in Utah and
Northern Mariana Islands, all of the work on the Manhattan
Project in Tennessee, New Mexico and Washington would not have
had its intended effect. So I would simply like to note for the
record, Mr. Chairman, that this Committee should at some point
in the future recognize these additional sites and consider
their addition to the Manhattan Project National Historical
Park that the Chairman's bill is establishing, of which, again,
I fully support.
I thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for all of your effort
on H.R. 1208.
Mr. Hastings. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Sablan. I yield to the Chair.
Mr. Hastings. I certainly concur with that, because the
effort to win the Second World War, obviously, was not confined
to just these three areas, but the concentration of that. Boy!
You could make the case in a variety of ways that helped that
war effort.
I think the key point is, and I certainly concur, is we
should not lose sight of the history that has brought us where
we are today. And I think that is what the gentleman's point is
and I certainly concur with that.
Mr. Sablan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Actually, we should
compute the history. And, God forbid that we ever have to--no
one ever has to use this weapon again upon anybody. But thank
you very much for your efforts, sir. I support, fully support
H.R. 1208.
Mr. Hastings. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and the
Chair recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. McClintock.
Mr. McClintock. Well, I thank you. I just wanted to add
that although hundreds of thousands of Japanese were killed by
the deployment of these bombs, millions of Japanese and at
least hundreds of thousands of American lives were saved by the
deployment of these bombs.
My father was a member of the 88th Infantry Division. He
arrived in Italy in the spring of 1945. The 88th Infantry
Division was to be part of the invasion of Japan with
horrendous casualties projected on both sides. It was the
deployment of the bomb because of the work that was carried out
at these facilities, that invasion never had to take place.
Those lives were saved and that's a very important part of the
story that we should never forget.
Mr. Hastings. I thank the gentleman. Is there any other
questions for the panel?
I am going to be parochial here for a minute, because I saw
some people came into the hearing room a little bit late;
namely, my wife, my daughter and my three granddaughters are
here. So if you would stand up, I would appreciate that, just
to be recognized, they are here visiting. So thank you.
[Applause.]
Mr. Hastings. If there is no further business to come
before the Committee, the Committee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:46 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
[Additional Materials Submitted for the Record]
Clarification for the Record by Fran Berting
April 18, 2013.
The Honorable Rob Bishop,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Raul Grijalva,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify last week on H.R. 1208, a
bill to establish the Manhattan Project National Park in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for
other purposes. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my
answer to a question from Ranking Member Grijalva regarding using
Federal funds for acquisition of additional property. The question from
Ranking Member Grijalva was:
``Ms. Berting, last Congress the [Los Alamos] Historical Society
expressed concerns with the language in this legislation, and I've
heard it from other witnesses, preventing the park service from using
Federal funds for acquisition of additional property. This is
particularly of concern around Los Alamos. Is that concern still a
valid one with the Society?''
The position of the Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos Historical
Society is that because of geography and history, the layout of Los
Alamos is slightly different than the other Manhattan Project
communities. The historic downtown, where the scientists lived, is
several miles away from the remaining WWII sites at the laboratory,
many of which are still behind the fence. Based on public meetings and
a significant amount of local input, we know the community desires to
have a park visitor's center located in or near the historic downtown.
The National Park Service has also recommended a centralized visitors
center in Los Alamos. The property in the downtown is privately owned
and valuable, making a donation of such property to the park service
difficult. Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos Historical Society
would like the Park Service to have the option to be able to obtain
property through purchase in order to achieve the ideal of a downtown
park visitor's center.
I would like to have this information added to the Subcommittee
hearing record. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify on this
important bill. I look forward to working with you and your committee
to get a park established in Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Hanford. Please
contact me or Harry Burgess, County Administrator, with any additional
questions.
Sincerely,
Fran Berting,
Councilor, Incorporated County of Los Alamos.