Nuclear harbor plan proposed in 1958

In 1958, the United States Atomic Energy Agency (AEC) considered using thermonuclear bombs to dig a harbor in the Ogotoruk Valley at Cape Thompson, Alaska. This idea was part of a broader program exploring the civil use of nuclear explosions, initiated in 1957.

Scale of the proposed nuclear explosions

The original plan called for four 100 kiloton bombs to create a channel and two 1 megaton bombs to dig a basin, totaling 2.4 megatons—equivalent to 160 Hiroshima-sized bombs. The plan was later scaled down to include two 200 kiloton bombs and several smaller charges.

Location and local opposition

The site was chosen for its remoteness, with nearby Inupiat villages located 51 km and 66 km away. However, residents of Point Hope opposed the project, arguing that the harbor would be ice-covered for most of the year and that coal deposits cited as an economic benefit were not near the site.

Environmental studies and their findings

From 1959 to 1962, the AEC funded over 40 studies on the area’s biology and environment. These studies, ironically, highlighted the risks of radiation exposure, showing that local lichens and mosses already contained high levels of radioactivity from global nuclear tests.

Project put on hold and later cleanups

Public opposition led to the project being put on hold in 1962, though it was never officially canceled. In 1962, a radioactive soil experiment was conducted at Cape Thompson, and the site was cleaned in 1993 and again in 2014. Markers were placed in 2023 to note the location of the experiment.

Scientists and their consequences

Two scientists, Viereck and William Pruitt, faced professional repercussions for their involvement in the studies. Viereck resigned in 1961 and Pruitt was fired in 1962. Both were later awarded honorary doctorates in 1993. The Chariot project remains officially on hold, waiting for further action.