This Nature Preserve Near Cincinnati Was Once A Nuclear Weapons Plant And Its Story Is Truly Fascinating
By Andrea Limke|Published June 06, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
There are many places around Cincinnati that have been repurposed over the years. Historic homes have been turned into restaurants, run down property has been transformed into lovely green space, but this particular story of change is especially fascinating. Located northwest of Cincinnati, Fernald Preserve was once the home of a nuclear weapons plant and it has been remediated and restored into a beautiful park-like setting. If you don’t know much about this plant-turned-preserve, continue on for its ongoing and fascinating story.
The Fernald Preserve is located on the former site of the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center, shown below in 1987.
As a uranium processing facility that produced high-purity uranium metal products, it was the beginning of the nuclear weapon production process for our country. The plant ran production from 1951 until 1989, when operations ended and environmental remediation began. The comprehensive environmental remediation and ecological
restoration of the site was completed in 2006 and cost an incredible $4.4 billion. At the time, it was among the largest cleanup operations in the history of the U.S.
Today, the property boasts an award-winning visitor's center and a 7-mile stretch of trails.
The land now looks like the photo above as it was cleaned to the standards established by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, DOE contractors, residents near the site, interest groups, and members of the nearby communities. The cleanup efforts were not taken lightly and any necessary remediation and/or cleanup efforts that remain continue to be monitored and taken care of.
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While the story behind this site is quite fascinating, its present situation features a park-like setting with miles of trails, a wide variety of wildlife and plant life, and a serene setting to relax and explore.
The 1,050-acre property now includes one of the largest man-made wetlands in Ohio, and it provides scenery like no other place in our area. On a visit, be sure to take the time to read the material posted throughout the Preserve, and also allow time to enjoy the Visitor's Center which is free and open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Another incredible draw to this transformed site is the vast amount of wildlife you can experience. On any given walk along the trails, you can view hundreds of different species.
Bird watching is a popular activity here, with more than 240 different species observed. Visitors have also spotted deer, bobcats, turtles, owls, ducks, geese, swans, and many more.
As you can imagine, Fernald Preserve piques the interest of many given its past, but it has found a new life as a naturally beautiful area near Cincinnati.
If you've never experienced this nuclear plant-turned nature preserve for yourself or learned about how it was brought back to high environmental standards, you can find all of that information, along with an abundant amount of nature, at this fascinating destination just outside of Cincinnati.
Fernald Preserve is the source of many tales around Cincinnati, but the fact remains that it is a remediated site that is now filled with natural beauty. Were you aware of the story behind this legendary property? Have you visited and walked its trails? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Fernald Preserve is located at 7400 Willey Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013. For more facts and information, visit its website here.
And if you enjoy hiking and being outside around Cincinnati, check out more great trails around town here.
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