Site Survey
The Savannah River Site completed construction nearly 75 years ago, ending one of the most ambitious construction projects in American history. It was built by DuPont; to the Atomic Energy Commission’s (AEC) exact specifications after a meticulous site selection process that was spearheaded by DuPont. During this period, DuPont surveyors traveled across the United States to find the perfect fit for the AEC facility. This begs the question, what did the AEC and DuPont see in the Savannah River area? Through digitization, we can observe exactly what made them so interested.
The words “strategic,” “operational,” and “tactical” were at the core of site selection criteria. These kept the focus on finding a potential site that was defensible, while still having the required terrain and resources with minimal human population. Emphasis was also placed on the surrounding landscape having enough space to support local housing and transportation. To trim down the field of candidates, DuPont enlisted the help of the Corps of Engineers to find suitable areas, with a preference towards land in the first defense zone, while not totally ruling out the second defense zone (areas in the eastern U.S. less vulnerable to Soviet bombers).
On June 19, 1950, specific criteria for the new plant were set, and they were remarkable. An estimated 350 square miles were needed for the potential site. Space for six reactors, a test reactor, and five separation facilities, with a minimum of two miles needed between each facility. All this, while still needing to be within a minimum 20.5 air miles away from a population of at least 25,000, that could then be accessed via railroad and highway. This may seem like a steep ask, but one of the priorities for the AEC in this endeavor was to avoid building another government town akin to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Rather than managing a new government town, which had yielded mixed results in the past, the AEC decided it would be best to cultivate a workforce from a local population while the new plant remained in relative isolation. Moving with true efficiency, the Corps of Engineers had a list of 105 potential sites that roughly met the criteria in less than three months, and promptly delivered them to DuPont for in-depth review.
DuPont quickly reduced the list by focusing on the most critical resource for the future facility, water. Clean, cold water, with a high flow rate, or cubic-feet-per-second (cfs), was necessary to support the planned reactors. Easy drainage and minimal risk of contaminating civilian water supply were also priority issues. These two criteria alone reduced the number of potential suitors down to 84 within the first defense zone. Other criteria, such as navigation, climate, and terrain, made mincemeat of most other candidates, leaving 17 sites remaining. A major change to the criteria, namely increasing the cfs from 200 to 600, promptly eliminated 10 more, with secondary criteria eliminating another two, leaving the first defense zone with five candidates.
While the first defense zone was prioritized in the name of security, six “cold-water sites” located in and just outside of the second defense zone were added to the shortlist because of the possible savings that could be found in their colder waters. After a brief period of extreme scrutiny, nine of the 11 potential sites were tossed out. Of the four remaining sites, two were in the first defense zone in South Carolina and Texas, one was in the second defense zone in Illinois, and the final site was in Wisconsin, just outside of the second defense zone. Upon narrowing the field to the final four, the sites were all subject to a rigorous reevaluation.
The day of final selection came on November 10, 1950, and though the remaining sites were comparable to each other, there was one that had caught DuPont’s eye from early on. Site Five, located in Aiken and Barnwell counties, was selected for what would eventually come to be known as the Savannah River Plant, known today as the Savannah River Site. The site found in South Carolina earned DuPont’s recommendation for its chemically excellent water, ideal soil and climate, isolation, lack of food-based agriculture, and lower construction costs. The proposal was reviewed and approved on November 27, 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in South Carolina. While this new plant was sure to bring never-before seen growth and opportunity to the area, major changes were in store for the local populations who were unaware of how soon construction would begin, and how close to home it would be.
