I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3207 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the preservation 
and interpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan Project for 
potential inclusion in the National Park System. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003 
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 
on the preservation and interpretation of the historic 
sites of the Manhattan Project for potential inclusion 
in the National Park System. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Manhattan Project Na-
tional Historical Park Study Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Manhattan Project, the World War II 
effort to develop and construct the first atomic 
bomb, represents an extraordinary era in the history 
of United States and the world that— 
(A) included remarkable achievements in 
science and engineering made possible by inno-
vative partnerships among many Federal agen-
cies, universities, and private industries; and 
(B) culminated in a transformation of the 
global society by ushering in the atomic age. 
(2) The Manhattan Project was an unprece-
dented $2,200,000,000, 3-year, top-secret effort that 
employed approximately 130,000 men and women at 
its peak. 
(3) The facilities of the Manhattan Project con-
tain historic resources that are crucial for the inter-
pretation of the Manhattan Project, including facili-
ties in— 
(A) Oak Ridge, Tennessee (where the first 
full-scale nuclear reactor and enrichment facili-
ties were built); 
(B) Hanford, Washington (where the first 
large-scale reactor for plutonium was built); 
and
(C) Los Alamos, New Mexico (where the 
atomic bombs were designed and built). 
(4) The Secretary has recognized the national 
significance in our Nation’s history of Manhattan 
Project facilities in the study area by— 
(A) designating the Los Alamos Scientific 
Laboratory in the State of New Mexico as a 
National Historic Landmark in 1965 and add-
ing the Laboratory to the National Register of 
Historic Places in 1966; 
(B) designating the X–10 Graphite Reac-
tor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 
the State of Tennessee as a National Historic 
Landmark in 1965 and adding the Reactor to 
the National Register of Historic Places in 
1966; 
(C) adding the Oak Ridge Historic District 
to the National Register of Historic Places in 
1991; 
(D) adding the B Reactor at the Hanford 
Site in the State of Washington to the National 
Register of Historic Places in 1992; and 
(E) by adding the Oak Ridge Turnpike, 
Bear Creek Road, and Bethel Valley Road 
Checking Stations in the State of Tennessee to
the National Register of Historic Places in 
1992. 
(5) The Hanford Site has been nominated by 
the Richland Operations Office of the Department of 
Energy and the Washington State Historic Preser-
vation Office for addition to the National Register of 
Historic Places. 
(6) A panel of experts convened by the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation in 2001 reported 
that the development and use of the atomic bomb 
during World War II has been called ‘‘the single 
most significant event of the 20th Century’’ and rec-
ommended that various sites be formally established 
‘‘as a collective unit administered for preservation, 
commemoration, and public interpretation in co-
operation with the National Park Service’’. 
(7) The Advisory Council on Historic Preserva-
tion reported in 2001 that the preservation and in-
terpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan 
Project offer significant value as destinations for do-
mestic and international tourists. 
(8) Preservation and interpretation of the Man-
hattan Project historic sites are necessary for 
present and future generations to fully appreciate
the extraordinary and complex consequences of the 
Manhattan Project. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(2) STUDY.—The term ‘‘study’’ means the 
study authorized by section 4(a). 
(3) STUDY
AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 
means the following Manhattan Project sites: 
(A) Los Alamos National Laboratory and 
townsite in the State of New Mexico. 
(B) The Hanford Site in the State of 
Washington. 
(C) Oak Ridge Laboratory in the State of 
Tennessee. 
(D) Other significant sites relating to the 
Manhattan Project determined by the Secretary 
to be appropriate for inclusion in the study. 
SEC. 4. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 
a special resource study of the study area to assess 
the national significance, suitability, and feasibility 
of designating the various historic sites and struc-
tures of the study area as a unit of the National 
Park System. Except as provided by subsection (b), 
the study shall be conducted in accordance with sec-
tion 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a– 
5(c)). 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATION.—In 
conducting 
the 
study, the Secretary shall— 
(A) consult with the Secretary of Energy, 
the Secretary of Defense, State and local offi-
cials, tribal governments, and representatives of 
affected communities and organizations; and 
(B) evaluate, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Energy and the Secretary of Defense, 
the compatibility of designating the study area 
or any part of the study area as a national his-
toric site or national historical park with main-
taining security, productivity and management 
goals of the Department of Energy and the De-
partment of Defense, and public health and 
safety. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which funds are made available to carry out the study, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that de-
scribes the findings of the study and any conclusions and 
recommendations of the Secretary. 
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