Editing Tri-Cities, Washington (section)

==Industry==

===Early Hanford===
In the 1940s, the [[Hanford site]] employed a majority of residents. The [[United States government]] built a top-secret facility to produce and separate plutonium for [[nuclear weapon]]s, and decided on an area just north of then-tiny Richland. The government built temporary quarters for the more than 45,000 workers and built permanent homes and infrastructure for other personnel in Richland. The city had an overnight population explosion, yet virtually no one knew what the purpose of Hanford was until the destruction of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] on August 9, 1945, by an atomic weapon containing Hanford-produced plutonium. After [[World War II]] Hanford continued work on creating material for nuclear weapons during the [[Cold War]]. After the fall of the [[USSR]] in 1991, Hanford, the site of severe nuclear contamination, changed its mission from plutonium production to environmental cleanup and restoration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richland Operations Office Cleanup Progress |publisher=United States Department of Energy |url=http://www.hanford.gov/rl/?page=44&parent=0 |access-date=July 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503022054/http://www.hanford.gov/rl/?page=44&parent=0 |archive-date=May 3, 2008}}</ref>

===Modern Hanford===

The Hanford site is one of the largest cleanup projects in the United States, costing over $1.4&nbsp;million per day<ref>Lisa Stiffler, [http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Hanford-cleanup-cost-soars-to-11-3-billion-1202373.php "Hanford cleanup cost soars to $11.3 billion ... if Congress will pay"], ''Seattle Pi'', April 30, 2006,</ref> to turn over {{convert|53|e6USgal|lk=out}} of nuclear waste into glass through a process called vitrification.<ref>Matthew Wald, {{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E3D71638F935A25752C0A96E958260 |title=Panel Details Management Flaws at Hanford Nuclear Waste Site |access-date=January 29, 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611085657/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E3D71638F935A25752C0A96E958260 |archive-date=June 11, 2008|newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 16, 1998 |last1=Wald |first1=Matthew L. }}, ''The New York Times'', January 16, 1998</ref> Vitrification is a proven technique in the disposal and long-term storage of [[nuclear waste]] or other hazardous wastes.<ref>M.I. Ojovan, W.E. Lee. Glassy wasteforms for nuclear waste immobilisation. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 42 (4), 837–851 (2011).</ref> Original estimates were $2.8&nbsp;billion over five years to clean up the waste,<ref>Keith Schneider, [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/28/us/agreement-set-for-a-cleanup-at-nuclear-site.html "Agreement Set For a Cleanup At Nuclear Site", ''New York Times'', February 28, 1989]</ref> though estimates quickly grew in the early 1990s to $50&nbsp;billion with a completion date of 30 years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Geranios |first=Nicholas K. |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930812/1715638/hanford-cleanup-now-expected-to-cost-trillions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522003420/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19930812&slug=1715638 |url-status=live |archive-date=2018-05-22 |title=Local News &#124; Hanford Cleanup Now Expected To Cost Trillions |date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref> As of 2021, the additional cost to complete cleanup is now projected to be between $300 and $640 billion with an estimated completion date of 2078.<ref>{{cite web|title=Local news|url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article257924898.html|website=tri-cityherald.com}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Over 18&nbsp;percent of all jobs in the Benton Franklin County area are nuclear-related, research-related, or engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tridec.org/site_selection/tri-cities_demographics/major_industry_employers/ |title=Tridec &#124; Tri-Cities Washington Development Council |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213065319/http://www.tridec.org/site_selection/tri-cities_demographics/major_industry_employers/ |archive-date=February 13, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref name="energy-northwest.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.energy-northwest.com/ourenergyprojects/Columbia/Pages/default.aspx |title=Columbia Generating Station |publisher=Energy-northwest.com |access-date=2019-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075833/https://www.energy-northwest.com/ourenergyprojects/Columbia/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Columbia Generating Station===

The [[Columbia Generating Station]] operates ten miles outside of Richland and is the only nuclear power station in the Pacific Northwest. It uses a boiling water reactor with a type 5 layout and was relicensed 10 years to operate until 2043.<ref>John Pearson,[http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/07/columbia_generating_station_wh.html "Columbia Generating Station: Why relicense a nuclear power plant 10 years early?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080706/http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/07/columbia_generating_station_wh.html |date=March 4, 2016 }} The Oregonian, July 30, 2012</ref> After nine years of construction, the plant began operating after a long and costly construction process that resulted in the largest [[municipal bond]] [[default (finance)|default]] in U.S. history.<ref name="historylink.org">David Wilma [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5482 "Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619151427/http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5482 |date=June 19, 2015 }} Historylink, date last accessed October 17, 2013</ref> Originally operated and owned by the [[Washington Public Power Supply System]] (WPPSS), the coalition changed its name to Energy Northwest in 1998 because of the negative association with the original name (commonly pronounced "Whoops" in place of WPPSS).<ref name="historylink.org"/> WPPSS defaulted on $2.25&nbsp;billion in bonds resulting in payments that exceeded $12,000 per customer, an amount which was finally paid out in 1992 (10 years later).<ref name="historylink.org"/><ref>From Times Staff [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-04-fi-1232-story.html "Other News"] LA Times, November 4, 1992</ref><ref>James T. Bennett and Thomas J. DiLorenzo [http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/wppss-default-not-only-budget-boondoggle The WPPSS Default: Not the Only Off-Budget Boondoggle] CATO Institute, October 14, 1983</ref> Its 1,190 gross megawatts can power the city of Seattle, and is equivalent to about 10 percent of the electricity generated in Washington and 4 percent of all electricity used in the Pacific Northwest  <ref name="energy-northwest.com"/> and has several safeguards to protect against seismic, natural, or terrorist threats.<ref>Jeff Humpfrey [https://web.archive.org/web/20131019120833/http://www.kxly.com/news/Is-Columbia-Generating-Station-Safe/-/101270/680194/-/dg7iyq/-/index.html "Is Columbia Generating Station Safe?"] KXLY, September 9, 2011</ref>

===Agriculture===
The Tri-Cities economy has historically been based on farming and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. From Pasco's [[incorporation (municipal government)|incorporation]] in 1891 to present day, the Tri-Cities have had a large degree of farming thanks to irrigation by the three nearby rivers. [[Wheat]] is the most commonly grown product; however, large amounts of [[apple]]s, [[maize|corn]], [[grape]]s are also grown, along with [[potato]]es, and other products including [[asparagus]]. Cherries are also grown in the region.

[[File:Wheat field located east of Douglas Fruit Company in Pasco.jpg|thumb|320x265px|left|Photo taken along Clark Rd in Pasco, WA.]]

Grapes grown in the region are essential to the wine industry. Wineries draw a large population of tourists. With 160 wineries in the Columbia Valley,<ref name="Wine Country">{{cite web |title=The Heart of Washington Wine Country |url=http://www.visittri-cities.com/visitors/wine/ |work=Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621131742/http://www.visittri-cities.com/visitors/wine/ |archive-date=June 21, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> this industry accounts for $1 billion annually in Benton County alone.<ref name="Wine Industry">{{cite web |last=Perdue |first=Andy |title=New study shows Washington wine industry worth $8.6 billion |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/04/24/1915381/wine-state-industry-worth-86-billion.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507215339/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/04/24/1915381/wine-state-industry-worth-86-billion.html |archive-date=May 7, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Tri-Cities' climate allows the region to have a broad and sustainable agricultural economy. Local industries provide employment for thousands of people in the Tri-Cities area. Some of the top 20 employers in agriculture include ConAgra, Tyson Foods, and Broetje Orchards.<ref name=Tridec>{{cite web |title=Major Industry Employers |url=http://www.tridec.org/site_selection/tri-cities_demographics/major_industry_employers/ |work=Tri-City Development Council |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213065319/http://www.tridec.org/site_selection/tri-cities_demographics/major_industry_employers/ |archive-date=February 13, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Agriculture makes up 9.5% of employment in Tri-Cities<ref name="Washington Crops">{{cite web |last=Pihl |first=Kristi |title=Washington No. 1 in ag&nbsp;– and the Mid-Columbia grows most of those crops |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/09/02/2083910/washington-no-1-in-ag-and-the.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630113338/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/09/02/2083910/washington-no-1-in-ag-and-the.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and local businesses combined employ thousands of people. In 2012, the state of Washington was rated No. 1 in the nation when it comes to growing apples, hops, spearmint oil, sweet cherries, pears, concord grapes and processing carrots.<ref name="Washington Crops"/> The Mid-Columbia region including the Tri-Cities grows most of these crops. The region's climate and irrigation from nearby rivers, like the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers, allow farmers to produce corn, hay, wheat and potatoes. In Washington there are 39,500 farms; 1,630 of these farms are located in Benton County and 891 are located in Franklin County.<ref name="Washington Crops"/>

===Local cuisine===
[[File:Spudnuts.jpg|thumb|220x165px|right|The Spudnut Shop located in the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland]]
The Tri-Cities has a number of locally owned and operated restaurants. The Spudnut Shop, for example, located in northern Richland, was opened in 1948 and has been family-run ever since. The Travel Channel featured The Spudnut Shop and their donuts "made from potato flour and then deep-fried to perfection."<ref>{{cite web |last=D'Agenais |first=Laurel |title=Donut Paradise |url=http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/food-and-drink/articles/donut-paradise |access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> Carmine's, also a family owned restaurant in the region, served Italian food in a historic home that was constructed in downtown Kennewick in 1929. The owners retired in 2021, closing the restaurant after celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tri-City Herald |title=Popular Tri-Cities Italian restaurant is closing its doors. |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article236759313.html |access-date=October 9, 2021  }}</ref> Also notable is the BBQ restaurant Porter's which began as a food truck in Richland and has been featured on ''[[Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives]]'' hosted by [[Guy Fieri]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Food Network | title=Porter's Real Barbecue Restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives | url=https://www.dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com/porters-real-barbecue-washington.html | access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref>

===Wine and breweries===
In contrast to Seattle, the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, the Columbia Valley enjoys long, warm, summer days, and crisp cool nights. The dry weather combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation produce near-perfect conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

The range of varietals grown throughout the region include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, and Pinot Noir.

[[File:Ice-Harbor.jpg|thumbnail|Ice Harbor Brewery]]
The Tri-Cities region has a rich winery culture that attract tourists and visitors to the area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Living in the Tri-Cities {{!}} PNNL |url=https://www.pnnl.gov/living-tri-cities |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=www.pnnl.gov}}</ref> Some of the local microbreweries include: Ice Harbor Brewery Company, Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery, and White Bluff Brewing. This brewery was founded in 1996 and has two locations in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, one in downtown Kennewick and one on [[Clover Island]]. In 2010, Ice Harbor received a bronze award for their Sternwheeler Stout, Runaway Red Ale, Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and a Silver Award for their Tangerine "ExBEERience" Hefeweizen at the Washington Beer Awards competition.<ref>{{cite news |last=Herald Stagg |title=National Beer Magazine Honors Ice Harbor Brewery |url=http://www.iceharbor.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991003144617/http://www.iceharbor.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 3, 1999 |access-date=October 7, 2013 |newspaper=Tri-City Herald.com |date=October 15, 2013 }}</ref> Another micro-brewery, the Atomic Ale Brew Pub & Eatery, is located in Richland and serves as Tri-Cities oldest brewpub and was opened in 1997.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hulse |first=Loretto |title=Richland Atomic Ale Turning 15 |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/11/1822013/richlands-atomic-ale-turning-15.html |date=October 7, 2013 |access-date=December 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619160155/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/11/1822013/richlands-atomic-ale-turning-15.html |archive-date=June 19, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Farmers markets===
The Market at the Parkway in Richland, WA is a farmers market with takes place every Friday from June through October.<ref name="Richland Market"/> Local artists provide music and crafts, and Fresh produce, specialty foods, arts and crafts are sold at the Richland farmers market.<ref name="Richland Market">{{cite web |title=Market at the Parkway |url=http://marketattheparkway.com/ |publisher=Richland Farmers Market |access-date=June 2, 2013}}</ref>

The Pasco Farmers Market, which celebrated 25 years in 2013, takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning beginning in May through the end of October, and consists primarily of fresh produce.<ref name="Pasco Market">{{cite news |last=Hulse |first=Loretto J. |title=Mid-Columbia farmers markets opening Saturday |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/05/02/2380337/farmers-markets-open.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628024605/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/05/02/2380337/farmers-markets-open.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 28, 2013 |access-date=June 3, 2013 |newspaper=Tri-City Herald |date=May 2, 2013 }}</ref>

A farmers market, located at the corner of Benton Street and Kennewick Avenue, takes place on Thursday evenings and runs annually from the end of May through October.<ref name="Kennewick Market">{{cite web |title=A Weekly Neighborhood Market |url=http://southridgefarmersmarket.com/ |publisher=Southridge Farmers Market |access-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719150035/http://southridgefarmersmarket.com/ |archive-date=July 19, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

===Other industries===
The Tri-Cities is home to automobile manufacturer [[SSC North America]]. Other corporations with facilities in the Tri-Cities area include [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], [[Areva]], [[Battelle Memorial Institute]], [[Bruker]], [[Lamb Weston]], [[Fluor Corporation]], [[Kaiser Aluminum]], [[Lampson International|Lampson Cranes]], [[Lockheed Martin]], [[Reser's Fine Foods]], [[Tyson Foods]], [[URS Corporation]], [[US Cellular]], UniWest, and [[Aecom]].{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}