Community Support for EBR-I
The $500 million projected by the Atomic Energy Commission on the NRTS was a higher sum than the assessed value of the entire state of Idaho at the time. As a result of this influx of government spending, Arco residents were ecstatic when their community turned out to be the nearest to the site. However, for the larger towns in the region, the race to win the headquarters for the testing station had just begun. Idaho Falls eventually won out, after declaring itself the “atomic city,” though it is not clear if this self-nomination actually contributed to the town’s eventual victory.