▁its ▁corpor ate ▁partners ▁are ▁watched ▁by ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁local , ▁regional ▁and ▁national ▁regul atory ▁ag encies ▁and ▁citiz en ▁groups . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁requested ▁that ▁Du P ont ▁build ▁and ▁operate ▁a ▁nuclear ▁facility ▁near ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁River ▁in ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁The ▁company ▁had ▁expert ise ▁in ▁nuclear ▁operations , ▁having ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁the ▁plut on ium ▁production ▁complex ▁at ▁the ▁Han ford ▁site ▁for ▁the ▁Manh attan ▁Project ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁A ▁large ▁portion ▁of ▁far ml and , ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Ell ent on ▁and ▁Dun b art on , ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁communities ▁including ▁Mey ers ▁Mill , ▁Le igh , ▁Rob b ins , ▁and ▁Haw th or ne ▁were ▁bought ▁under ▁em inent ▁domain , ▁and ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁ ▁became ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁River ▁Site , ▁managed ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission . ▁Bi olog ists ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia , ▁led ▁by ▁professor ▁Eug ene ▁Od um , ▁began ▁e colog ical ▁studies ▁of ▁local ▁plants ▁and ▁animals ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁and ▁plant ▁construction ▁began . ▁ ▁Production ▁of ▁heavy ▁water ▁for ▁site ▁react ors ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁He avy ▁Water ▁R ew ork ▁Fac ility ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁production ▁re actor , ▁R ▁Re actor , ▁went ▁critical ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁P , ▁L