Historic Trust presents “Atomic Washington: Our Nuclear Past, Present and Future”

The Historic Trust and Humanities Washington present “Atomic Washington: Our Nuclear Past, Present, and Future,” a presentation by author Steve Olson, author of “The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age,” from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 29. The free program is offered in the Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes St., Vancouver.

At the center of every nuclear weapon in the United States is radioactive material manufactured at a top-secret facility in Eastern Washington, the most radiologically contaminated site in the Western hemisphere. Washington also has two operating nuclear reactors, one of which provides ten percent of the state’s electricity. Radioactive substances are used to cure diseases, build airplanes, detect pollutants and power smoke detectors. Further, Naval Base Kitsap has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons deployed anywhere in the country. Drawing from history, science and popular culture, Olson reveals the many influences of nuclear materials in Washington State, a pioneer in the atomic age.