Savannah River Site

Aiken, South Carolina/Savannah River (bordering the state of Georgia) 1953 – 1972

Located near Aiken, South Carolina on the Savannah River which borders South Carolina and Georgia, the Savannah River Site (SRS) spans 198,046 acres. This expansive site holds great historical significance and played a crucial role in the nation’s nuclear weapons complex from its inception in the early 1950s until the end of the Cold War.

During the 1950s, SRS produced chemicals and elements used in the manufacturing of nuclear weapons, specifically tritium and plutonium. The site had five reactors and several chemical separation facilities helping with production. These additional worksites were built over a span of 310 miles, bordering both South Carolina and Georgia. A large number of former SRS worksite employees who could have been potentially exposed reside on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. 

Today, the Savannah River Site processes and stores nuclear materials in support of national defense and the United States’ nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The site also develops and deploys technologies that focus on improving the environment and treating nuclear and hazardous wastes left from the Cold War.

With over 70 years of service to our nation, the Savannah River Site’s legacy will live on in its modern missions in scientific and technological innovation, nonproliferation, environmental cleanup and more.

Read more about Savannah River Site in the 2021 Atomic Health News Fall Edition.