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The legacy of nuclear waste from the Cold War is a global problem emerging in local contexts. This paper examines this problem from the perspective of the social identities of those who participated in the first ten years of productio activities at the Hanford Site (1943-1953) and stayed to live in the locality. The issue of nuclear waste, specifically the transition to nuclear waste cleanup, is explored by means of life-histories. In particular, the paper explores the decline of the 'culture of secrecy' in the locality in terms of th problems and opportunities it represents in the interpretation of the past and the present. The paper argues that this transition is particularly significant for those who participated in the construction of the Hanford Site. The analysi presented in the paper suggests that the relationship between self and locality is tightly connected to the perceived role of the Hanford Site as a peacekeeper since World War II. This sense of identity and belonging to the locality is undergoing a challenge as the basis of the identity is exposed to 'outsider' scrutiny and the local community reflects upon its history and self-identity. The paper argues this position by identifying the need for qualitative research in environmental sociology which explores the tangible linkages between large-scale social processes and the localities within which such processes are lived out through culture.

The protest over the use of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in the spacecraft of the Cassini Mission to Saturn has been causing the delay of the launching of the Saturn mission. The protesters fear that a Cassini accident may pose environmental and health threats.