Welcome to A People's Atlas of Nuclear Colorado
To experience the full richness of the Atlas, please view on desktop.
Navigating the Atlas
You may browse the Atlas by following the curated "paths" of information and interpretation provided by the editors. These paths roughly track the movement of radioactive materials from the earth, into weapons or energy sources, and then into unmanageable waste—along with the environmental, social, technical, and ethical ramifications of these processes. In addition to the stages of the production process, you may view in sequence the positivist, technocratic version of this story, or the often hidden or repressed shadow side to the industrial processing of nuclear materials.
Using the buttons on the left, you may also browse the Atlas's artworks and scholarly essays, access geolocated material on a map, and learn more about contributors to the project.
If you would like to contribute materials to the Atlas, please reach out to the editors: Sarah Kanouse (s.kanouse at northeastern.edu) and Shiloh Krupar (srk34 at georgetown.edu).
Cover Image by Shanna Merola, "An Invisible Yet Highly Energetic Form of Light," from Nuclear Winter.
Atlas design by Byse.
Funded by grants from Georgetown University and Northeastern University. Initial release September 2021.
Using the buttons on the left, you may also browse the Atlas's artworks and scholarly essays, access geolocated material on a map, and learn more about contributors to the project.
If you would like to contribute materials to the Atlas, please reach out to the editors: Sarah Kanouse (s.kanouse at northeastern.edu) and Shiloh Krupar (srk34 at georgetown.edu).
Cover Image by Shanna Merola, "An Invisible Yet Highly Energetic Form of Light," from Nuclear Winter.
Atlas design by Byse.
Funded by grants from Georgetown University and Northeastern University. Initial release September 2021.
Department of Energy, Worker at the Schwartzwalder Uranium Mine, undated, Flickr
Site
Schwartzwalder Mine
Located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver, Colorado, the Schwartzwalder uranium deposit is the largest vein-type deposit in the United States. Uranium was discovered in the 1940s and the mine operated from 1953-1995, producing 99% of all uranium in the Front Range.
In 1984, the mine was declared a Superfund site due to contamination of nearby creeks and the Ralston Reservoir, which provides drinking water for 1.3 million Denver metro residents. While Schwartzwalder closed in 1995, its previous owner, Cotter Corporation, estimated 16 million pounds of uranium oxide remain in the mine and used a legal loophole that allowed it to remain open on "intermittent status" and therefore eligible for numerous cleanup exemptions.
The Schwartzwalder Mine has faced many environmental issues: the mine received almost 100 separate environmental violations from 2000 to 2010. Although a 2010 groundwater field test revealed uranium 1,000 times higher than state standards, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) claimed that the water supplies for Denver, Arvada, and other Front Range communities are safe.
In March 2018 the mine was sold to Colorado Legacy Land, a partnership between Colorado Legacy Land Stewardship and Alexco Environmental Group. Part of the public benefit corporation's mission is to clean up contaminated properties and convert them into useable, eco-friendly spaces. On April 3, 2018, Alexco Water and Environment (like Alexco Environmental Group, a subsidiary of Alexco Resource Gorp.), became the Operator of Responsible Charge for the cleanup of the Schwartzwalder Mine.
Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. "Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine)." Minedat.org. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Lewis, Hilary. "Schwaltzwalder Mine." Earthworks, May 1, 2017. Accessed January 13, 2023.
In 1984, the mine was declared a Superfund site due to contamination of nearby creeks and the Ralston Reservoir, which provides drinking water for 1.3 million Denver metro residents. While Schwartzwalder closed in 1995, its previous owner, Cotter Corporation, estimated 16 million pounds of uranium oxide remain in the mine and used a legal loophole that allowed it to remain open on "intermittent status" and therefore eligible for numerous cleanup exemptions.
The Schwartzwalder Mine has faced many environmental issues: the mine received almost 100 separate environmental violations from 2000 to 2010. Although a 2010 groundwater field test revealed uranium 1,000 times higher than state standards, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) claimed that the water supplies for Denver, Arvada, and other Front Range communities are safe.
In March 2018 the mine was sold to Colorado Legacy Land, a partnership between Colorado Legacy Land Stewardship and Alexco Environmental Group. Part of the public benefit corporation's mission is to clean up contaminated properties and convert them into useable, eco-friendly spaces. On April 3, 2018, Alexco Water and Environment (like Alexco Environmental Group, a subsidiary of Alexco Resource Gorp.), became the Operator of Responsible Charge for the cleanup of the Schwartzwalder Mine.
Sources
Alexco Resource Corp. "Alexco Environmental Group and Colorado Legacy Land LLC Partner to Cleanup Legacy Uranium Mining and Processing Sites in Central Colorado." CISION PR Newswire. April 10, 2018. Accessed July 31, 2020.Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. "Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine)." Minedat.org. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Lewis, Hilary. "Schwaltzwalder Mine." Earthworks, May 1, 2017. Accessed January 13, 2023.
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