Welcome to A People's Atlas of Nuclear Colorado
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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.
Energy Fuels/Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Sulfuric acid extracts uranium and vanadium from waste materials at the White Mesa Uranium Mill, 2014, Wikimedia Commons
Site
White Mesa Uranium Mill
Built in 1980, the White Mesa Uranium Mill is the last conventional uranium mill licensed in the United States. It is currently owned by Energy Fuels Resources, which purchased the mill in 2012 after selling the license for the defeated Piñon Ridge mill in Western Colorado. Located six miles south of Blanding, Utah, and adjacent to a Ute Mountain Ute Tribal community, White Mesa survived the worldwide crash in uranium processes by collecting and reprocessing radioactive waste from other facilities, generating toxic chemical byproducts that are disposed in on-site tailings impoundments with thin plastic liners. Nevertheless, the mill temporarily suspended processing in 2014, sending shock waves through the rural town of Blanding due to the loss of the plant’s 150 jobs and $1 million in annual county tax revenue.
The Ute Mountain Ute Nation has long opposed the mill, citing risks to the water, soil, plants, and animals on which the Ute people traditionally rely. Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s desire to loosen current emissions standards, the Tribe independently monitors emissions from White Mesa impoundments and has found radon gas levels already far in excess of current thresholds. In 2012, the Tribe has unsuccessfully opposed overturning the mill’s license, pointing to the need for numerous upgrades and operational changes. Most recently, the Grand Canyon Trust filed a civil lawsuit against the mill for Clean Air Act violations in 2012 and 2013.
Minard, Anne. “Lawsuit Charges Mill with Violating Laws for Radon Releases, Open Pits.” Four Corners Free Press, May 1, 2014. Accessed June 11, 2021.
The Ute Mountain Ute Nation has long opposed the mill, citing risks to the water, soil, plants, and animals on which the Ute people traditionally rely. Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s desire to loosen current emissions standards, the Tribe independently monitors emissions from White Mesa impoundments and has found radon gas levels already far in excess of current thresholds. In 2012, the Tribe has unsuccessfully opposed overturning the mill’s license, pointing to the need for numerous upgrades and operational changes. Most recently, the Grand Canyon Trust filed a civil lawsuit against the mill for Clean Air Act violations in 2012 and 2013.
Sources
Grand Canyon Trust. "White Mesa Uranium Mill." Accessed July 31, 2020.Minard, Anne. “Lawsuit Charges Mill with Violating Laws for Radon Releases, Open Pits.” Four Corners Free Press, May 1, 2014. Accessed June 11, 2021.
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