The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant began operation in 1976, providing about twelve percent of Oregon’s power needs. Faulty safety systems, the accidental release of radioactive gases, and cracked steam tubes caused the plant to shut down temporarily several times until it was decommissioned in 1993. The reactor vessel was later transported by barge to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the state of Washington, where it was buried in a forty-five foot pit and covered with gravel.