Bilingual story brings awareness to youth of Hanford Nuclear Site
The Hanford site is the subject of a book that helps children understand how water is impacted by a trip through the site.
COURTESY PHOTO/HANFORD.GOV
A press release by Columbia Riverkeeper on Sept. 14 announces the launch of the Spanish version of “Water’s Walk Through Hanford”, an interactive story about the Hanford Nuclear Site's history.
“Hanford is a multigenerational cleanup, and Latinx youth and family involvement is critical to decision-making,” said Lisa Muñoz, Outreach Coordinator for Columbia Riverkeeper in the release. “Hanford reading materials are often incredibly complex and intimidating to understand, which deters youth participation.”
The release states that “Water’s Walk Through Hanford” is a fictional story, designed for middle-school and high-school students, about a drop of water, named Raindrop, who falls on Hanford during a storm. Raindrop runs into pollutants during their journey to the Columbia River and asks about current and past cleanup efforts. Readers will learn about Hanford’s Waste Encapsulation Storage Facility, Tank Farms, the 100-N Area, and the 100-K Area. In addition, clickable boxes, videos, and links to online resources are embedded throughout. The story highlights the current challenges Hanford faces, and how vitally important cleanup is for the health of the Columbia River, plants, animals, fish, and the people depending on them.