The Interior Department is expected to announce its grant selections by late summer. Also, the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is scheduled to inspect B Reactor in the fall. The B Reactor Museum Association has a rough idea on how it wants to approach converting the reactor into a public spot. It first wants to set up access from Highway 240 with people allowed along the river between Vernita and the reactor. Also, the reactor complex would be set up for tours of the main chamber and control room.
Many exhibits are already in the main chamber.
The association speculated possible future additions could be a World War II-vintage guard shack, an interpretive center complete with a small theater, a picnic area and setting up railroad and jet boat trips from Richland to the reactor. Tim Cowan, a recent Washington State University graduate in architecture, did his thesis on building an interpretive center for the reactor, which he plans to present to the museum association. The plan also looked at setting up jet boat and railway trips to B Reactor from north Richland. Copyright 2000 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.