A remote sensing analysis of vegetation health in the B/C area of the Hanford Site, Benton County, WA
Faculty Mentor
Brian Buchanan
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Geosciences
Abstract
The Hanford Site, historically a major nuclear production facility, has recently transitioned its mission toward environmental remediation and comprehensive site-wide cleanup. While remediation efforts have primarily targeted soil and groundwater contamination, these activities may also have influenced vegetation health across the site’s 586‑square‑mile area. This project evaluates the effects of remediation on vegetation by analyzing remotely sensed multispectral imagery. Specifically, it examines vegetation conditions in 2015, 2020, and 2025 using Sentinel data from the Copernicus program. Given the scale of the Hanford Site, the analysis focuses on the B/C Area, which has been a priority for remediation due to its proximity to the historic B Reactor. Results indicate that vegetation health has generally improved in areas where remediation has been implemented; however, slight declines in recent years may reflect broader regional impacts associated with climate change.
Recommended Citation
Slanga, Emersen, "A remote sensing analysis of vegetation health in the B/C area of the Hanford Site, Benton County, WA" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 9.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/9
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
A remote sensing analysis of vegetation health in the B/C area of the Hanford Site, Benton County, WA
PUB NCR
The Hanford Site, historically a major nuclear production facility, has recently transitioned its mission toward environmental remediation and comprehensive site-wide cleanup. While remediation efforts have primarily targeted soil and groundwater contamination, these activities may also have influenced vegetation health across the site’s 586‑square‑mile area. This project evaluates the effects of remediation on vegetation by analyzing remotely sensed multispectral imagery. Specifically, it examines vegetation conditions in 2015, 2020, and 2025 using Sentinel data from the Copernicus program. Given the scale of the Hanford Site, the analysis focuses on the B/C Area, which has been a priority for remediation due to its proximity to the historic B Reactor. Results indicate that vegetation health has generally improved in areas where remediation has been implemented; however, slight declines in recent years may reflect broader regional impacts associated with climate change.
