A large part of Hanford's pollution problems stems from tiny bits of dust, soot and gasses in the air. Close to half of that mix is from nitrate particles, which have been boosted by the massive cattle feedlots in the area.
Mishandled animal waste can release large quantities of ammonia into the air. The nitrogen in the ammonia then combines with auto emissions to form nitrate particle pollution.
The town also receives doses of pollution from cities to the North, like Fresno. But even more comes from the traffic along the big North-South superhighways that flank both sides of town. About 40% of all the container freight tonnage in the country comes through the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland and much of it winds up traveling these roads.
