Morgantown Ordnance Works, Looking Southeast
10/9/1942
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Morgantown Ordnance Works was used for the P-9 project, which has had two primary objectives: to provide heavy water (water that contains a large quantity of the hydrogen isotope deuterium) to serve as a moderator for nuclear reactors, and to examine the properties of the water for new uses.
The P-9 project was a component of the Manhattan Project, which resulted in the creation of the first nuclear weapons. This Morgantown facility played a significant role as an electrolytic finishing plant—the final step in the production process.
By the end of 1944 it was determined that the P-9 project had met its goals, and in the summer of 1945 the Morgantown plant as well as the two other facilities were completely shut down.
Unfortunately, this came at a heavy environmental price. The manufacturing activities resulted in the contamination of nearby soils, sediments, lagoons, as well as the neighboring Monongahela River, which supplies drinking water for approximately 60,000 residents of the county.
In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added this site to the National Priorities List (NPL), initiating clean-up activities including off-site removal of contaminated soil and replacing the affected areas with clean soil, as well as repairing the wetlands along the Monongahela River.
On September 29, 2017, the EPA signed the Final Close-Out Report and prepared the site for NPL deletion consideration; however chemical companies under the guidance of the EPA continue to monitor ground and surface water.
The P-9 project was a component of the Manhattan Project, which resulted in the creation of the first nuclear weapons. This Morgantown facility played a significant role as an electrolytic finishing plant—the final step in the production process.
By the end of 1944 it was determined that the P-9 project had met its goals, and in the summer of 1945 the Morgantown plant as well as the two other facilities were completely shut down.
Unfortunately, this came at a heavy environmental price. The manufacturing activities resulted in the contamination of nearby soils, sediments, lagoons, as well as the neighboring Monongahela River, which supplies drinking water for approximately 60,000 residents of the county.
In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added this site to the National Priorities List (NPL), initiating clean-up activities including off-site removal of contaminated soil and replacing the affected areas with clean soil, as well as repairing the wetlands along the Monongahela River.
On September 29, 2017, the EPA signed the Final Close-Out Report and prepared the site for NPL deletion consideration; however chemical companies under the guidance of the EPA continue to monitor ground and surface water.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance.
National Archives Identifier: 74627974
Full Citation: Morgantown Ordnance Works, Looking Southeast; 10/9/1942; Progress Panoramas of Construction of the Morgantown Ordnance Works, 1941 - 1942; Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, Record Group 56; National Archives at Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/morgantown-ordnance-works-looking-southeast, March 27, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
