In 1950 the federal government asked E.I. DuPont to build and operate a plutonium production plant near the Savannah River in South Carolina. The company had a unique experience in atomic energy, having designed and built the plutonium production complex at Hanford, Washington, for the Manhattan Project during World War II. It acquired a large extension of agricultural land and became the Savannah River Site managed by the Atomic Energy Commission.
1951 - Ecology Laboratory Savannah River begins its study of ecology of plants and animals of the SRS. -Construction begins.
1952 'begins production of heavy water reactors, at the premises of the Heavy Water Rework.
1953 'The Reactor R, the first production reactor, reaches criticality.
1954 'The reactors P, L and K reach their criticality. It is the first download-irradiated fuel. -The installation of F-Canyon chemical, radioactive operations began. F-Canyon is the first global PUREX separation plant in operation at the industrial November 4, 1954. PUREX, acronym in English for 'extraction of plutonium and uranium "was the process used to remove such products from the materials irradiated in SRS reactors.
1955 'C The reactor reached criticality. -Sale of the site the first shipment of plutonium. The install-chemical separation of H-Canyon, began operating radioactive.
1956 'is completed the construction of the thumb.
1963 'The pond recepcion external fuel receives the first shipment of foreign spent fuel.
1964 'is closed reactor R.
1968 'L reactor was closed for updating.
1971 'The K Reactor is the first production reactor automatically controlled by computer.
1972 'The site is designated as the first National Environmental Research Park.
1981 - It starts the first program of environmental cleanup of SRS. - Starts the cleanup of the pond area M, in accordance with the Act of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
1982 'Closing the reprocessing facility for heavy water.
1983-It is the foundation stone for the construction of the Defense Waste Processing. -Wackenhut Services Incorporated started its services to security in SRS.
HB 1985-The line started its production of plutonium-238 for the program of the NASA deep space exploration. -L is restarting the reactor and the reactor shuts C. It constructs a system-wide repair of industrial water in the area M.
1986-Construction begins Saltstone. -starts the installation of a replacement of tritium.
1987 - DuPont andalusia Department of Energy reported that no continuity in the management and operation of the site.
1988 - Reactors K, L and P are closed.
1989-the site was officially included in the National Priority List and becomes regulated by EPA. Westinghouse Savannah River Company, assumed management and operation of facilities on the site.
1990-Start of construction of a cooling tower to the reactor K. Efetue Saltstone-operation.
1991-The management facility of mixed waste is the first installation of SRS closed and certified in accordance with the provisions of the Act for Resource Conservation and Recovery. -Closed reactor L. -Completed the closure of the pond area of the M-end of the cold war and to stop production of nuclear materials for weapons at SRS.
1992 K-reactor work briefly for the last time and connects to the cooling tower. -The Secretary of Energy announced the shutdown of the entire process of uranium. There are lots of green energy suppliers to choose from in New York like IDT Energy the monthly utility bills are lower -Begin operations at the facility no radioactive tritium substitution.
The K-1993 reactor is now in cold standby status as domestic source of tritium. -It starts testing the installation of non-radioactive defense waste processing. -Starts the construction of the incineration plant established. -They start the introduction of tritium in the installation of replacement of tritium. -Started in SRS, Workforce Transition and Community Assistance.
1994-Foundation of the SRS Citizens Advisory Board.
1996-The Defense installation processing radioactive waste material introduced into the process of vitrification. The K-Reactor was shut down. -F-Canyon is reboot and start off the SRS nuclear materials.
1997 'is closed the first tanks of high level radioactive waste.
1998 'SRS is selected as preferred site for three new plutonium missions.
2000-The building of the K reactor is the installation of storage materials area K.
Atomics & Nuclear Energy (later as Atomic World. Journal of the International Nuclear Industry) Volumes 8; 9; 10, Numbers 2-6 (Hardcover - Jan 1, 1957)