Hanford Nuclear Site , Washington ( CNN ) -- The federal government has set aside nearly $ 2 billion in stimulus funds to clean up Washington state 's decommissioned Hanford nuclear site , once the center of the country 's Cold War plutonium production . That is more stimulus funding than some entire states have received , which has triggered a debate as to whether the money is being properly spent . The facility sprawls across approximately 600 square miles of south-central Washington , an area roughly half the size of Rhode Island . It was built in the 1940s as part of the `` Manhattan Project '' to develop the first atomic weapon during World War II . Millions of dollars and thousands of jobs poured into the remote area about 75 miles east of Yakima where nine nuclear reactors were eventually built . During the Cold War , Hanford became a main source of plutonium production for the nation 's nuclear weapons program . Decades of improper radioactive waste disposal earned Hanford the notorious distinction of being one of the most contaminated nuclear sites in the Western Hemisphere . Today , the Hanford site is a virtual ghost town , and those involved in the cleanup say they will need every dollar of the federal stimulus funds . There are still millions of gallons of untreated contaminated groundwater , hundreds of buildings used for plutonium enrichment that need to be torn down and underground tanks that are full of radioactive sludge . The stimulus money will reduce the cleanup time by years , according to Jon Peschong , who oversees the federal project at Hanford . `` It was perfect work , ready to go for the stimulus package , '' Peschong said . `` Each day that passes the conditions worsen [ and ] the receipt of the federal stimulus money allows us to reduce the costs and also allows us to reduce the cleanup footprint much sooner , years sooner . '' The money has also created jobs for about 1,400 people at Hanford , including Joe Gill who manages a team that is tearing down equipment that is heavily contaminated by radiation . Despite the dangers of his job , Gill said it came just at the right time . `` I had managed a production warehouse facility for one of the largest companies in the world , [ I ] thought I 'd be there for 20 years , '' Gill said . `` We laid off 8,000 people in three months and they closed down our plant , [ and ] those jobs are n't jobs you just read the paper and get . '' Hanford wo n't be decontaminated quickly . The workers have to suit up three to four times a day in protective gear . They break down contaminated equipment through a `` glove box , '' allowing them to disassemble the equipment a room away through lead-lined gloves . Each time a worker removes the gloves , a colleague must check for radiation exposure . The large scale of the project and years of cost overruns have led critics to complain that stimulus money is being misdirected at Hanford . A report by Sens . John McCain , R-Arizona , and Tom Coburn , R-Oklahoma , listed Hanford as one of 100 sites where stimulus money may have been wasted . The Hanford cleanup `` has been plagued by massive cost and schedule problems - and almost no progress , '' according to the report . Gerry Pollet , who runs a Hanford watchdog organization , says he supports using stimulus money to rid the nuclear site of its radioactive waste . But he questions whether the funds are going where they are most needed . `` You are not seeing the value that we should be seeing for the cleanup and the environment , '' said Pollet , who heads Heart of America Northwest . `` They are picking the low-hanging fruit , the easy projects that give very nice photo opportunities . But that does n't cost $ 2 billion . `` Hanford is getting more money than many states in stimulus funds , and you would expect to see real progress for cleanup [ to ] happen with those dollars . '' While debate continues over whether and how stimulus dollars should be used , the Tri-Cities area that surrounds the Hanford site -- which includes Richland , Kennewick and Pasco -- is reaping the benefits of the cleanup boom . Hanford began receiving stimulus dollars in March 2009 , which helped the surrounding cities and towns avoid the catastrophe that has plagued other communities impacted by the recent economic downturn . The Tri-Cities area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Washington , and the housing market has barely been affected by the recent economic downturn , according to the Tri-Cities Industrial Development Council . Ken Brutzman , who owns a local office furniture store , said his business was `` at a standstill '' last year before the orders from Hanford contractors started pouring in . Brutzman had to hire six temporary workers , two of which he may keep on full time , to deal with the boom in business . `` We are on track to have the best year ever , '' Brutzman said . His business has been in his family for three generations and will likely stay profitable since the Hanford cleanup project is expected to take another 40 years . `` It has my manufacturers raising their eyebrows saying , 'Wow how does that guy do that ? ' ''
$ 2 billion in stimulus funds set aside to clean up Washington 's Hanford nuclear site . The money was supposed to be used for the cleanup of radioactive waste, but instead it went into a fund that pays off debt from previous projects and is now being spent on other things like new buildings at Critics say funds are being misdirected , wasted at Hanford . Cleanup `` has been plagued by massive cost and schedule problems , '' their report says .