Nevada Test Site

The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS; N2S2) initially named the Nevada Proving Ground (1951–1955), and later the Nevada Test Site (NTS; 1955–2010)) is a reservation of the United States Department of Energy located in the southeastern portion of Nye County, Nevada, approximately 65 mi (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. The site was established in December 1950 when President Harry S. Truman authorized the designation of a portion of the Nellis Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range for testing American nuclear devices by the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The first atmospheric test was conducted at the site's Frenchman Flat area by the AEC on January 27, 1951. About 928 nuclear tests were conducted here through 1992, when the United States stopped its underground nuclear testing. The site consists of about 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2) of desert and mountainous terrain. Some 1,100 buildings in 28 areas are connected by 400 mi (640 km) of paved roads, 300 mi (480 km) of unpaved roads, ten heliports, and two airstrips. The site is privately managed and operated by Mission Support and Test Services LLC, a joint venture of Honeywell, Jacobs, and Huntington Ingalls, on behalf of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The mushroom clouds from the 100 atmospheric tests were visible from almost 100 mi (160 km) away; they could be seen from the Las Vegas Strip in the early 1950s. Many iconic images at nuclear science museums throughout the United States come from the site. Las Vegas experienced noticeable seismic effects. Westerly winds routinely carried the fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests, increasing rates of cancer in Utah and elsewhere, according to a 1984 medical report. The site has hosted 536 publicized and organized anti-nuclear protests, with 37,488 participants and 15,740 involved in arrests, according to government records.