Area 8 — This area, within the Nuclear Test Zone, occupies 34 km2 (13 mi2) in the northeast quadrant of the Yucca Flat weapons test basin.

Area 8 was the site of three atmospheric nuclear tests conducted in 1958. From mid-1966 through late 1988, 10 underground nuclear tests were carried out at this location.

Two of the underground tests involved the simultaneous firing of multiple devices emplaced in the same drilled shaft.

French- and German-type underground shelter structures were tested in Area 8 in 1957 and in 1964 these shelters were used by the University of Florida for shelter habitability studies.

The Baneberry test which vented to the atmosphere was conducted here on December 18, 1970, the Baneberry underground nuclear test released 6.7 million Curies of radioactivity to the atmosphere. Baneberry had a yield of ten kilotons (a kiloton is the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT). It was buried about 900 feet (about 270m.) beneath the surface of Yucca Flat, near the northern boundary of the NTS. . In Baneberry, failure of the stemming and capping of the shaft allowed a radioactive jet to emerge. Radioactivity was detected off site (i.e. outside the Nevada Test Site). The release of 80 kilocuries of I-131 was by far the worst accidental release at NTS. This was an LLNL weapon related test. For anyone interested in numerology, this was the 666th U.S. test by official count.

The radiation release, or venting, resulted in a cloud of radioactive dust about 10,000 feet above the surface(8 x 10 photo, opens in new window). Approximately 86 employees were exposed to radiation from Baneberry. Radioactive debris was detected as far away as North Dakota (May, John, 1989. The Greenpeace Book of the Nuclear Age. New York: Pantheon, p 185.)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has also conducted experiments in this area.

Total number of Nuclear Tests 13 and Detonations 15as having occured in Area 1, according to United States Nuclear Tests July 1945 through September 1992 DOE/NV--209-REV 15 December 2000 which may view here, but the document only lists the following tests as having occured in Area 8, other are tests are listed by hole or shaft number and am still working on updating this list.

Test Number	Name	Date	Sponser	Remarks	Photo
181	Oberon	10/22/1958	LANL	Operation Hardtack II No radioactive release detected
184	Ceres	10/26/1958	LLNL	Operation Hardtack II No radioactive release detected
194	Titania	10/30/1958	LLNL	Operation Hardtack II
666	Baneberry	12/18/1970	LLNL	Accidental release of radioactivity released 6.7 million Curies of radioactivity to the atmosphere,

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