Manhattan Project national park bill reintroduced

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has reintroduced legislation to set up a Manhattan Project national park that would include Oak Ridge.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park would also include Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. All three sites played important roles in the top-secret World War II program to build the world’s first atomic weapons.

“The Manhattan Project is one of the most significant events in American history, and the facilities at Oak Ridge continue to be an important source of jobs and research for Tennessee and the rest of the country,” said Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.

The legislation was introduced Thursday.

Alexander also introduced the legislation in the last congressional session. A majority of U.S. House members voted for the bill—the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act—in September, but the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the legislation under special rules.

Despite some changes in key congressional leadership positions, officials had expected the proposal to be reintroduced this session. (See also this story.)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, joined Alexander in introducing the legislation Thursday. In Oak Ridge, the park would include the Beta-3 racetracks and Alpha Calutron magnets at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

In a press release, Alexander said Tennessee’s history with the Manhattan Project dates back to a request from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Sen. Kenneth McKellar, a Tennessee Democrat, to help him secretly fund a project—ultimately the creation of the atomic bomb—to help end the war. McKellar famously asked Roosevelt “where in Tennessee” he’d like to locate the project, the press release said.

“That place in Tennessee turned out to be Oak Ridge, one of 30 different sites in three different countries,” Alexander said. “As Americans, we have a special obligation to preserve and protect our heritage, and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park will ensure that all Americans learn about the significance of the Manhattan Project and how it continues to shape our history.”