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.
Office of Legacy Management, North-South Cross Section of Gunnison Disposal Cell, 2018, US Department of Energy
Site
Gunnison Disposal Site
The Gunnison Processing Site operated as a uranium-ore processing facility since the 1950s. From 1958 to 1962, the site processed approximately 540,000 tons of uranium for nuclear development programs across the nation. Operations slowed down with the passing of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978; the site had produced radioactive mill tailings that covered around 39 acres at the mill site, and had contaminated the groundwater supply. Following the transfer of a 115-acre site from the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Energy (DOE) compiled 1.14 million dry tons of contaminated material within a disposal cell that occupies 29 acres. The container is a 1,200 x 1,140 x 50-foot pentagonal cell that is expected to last to up to 1,000 years. Construction began in 1992 and lasted until 1995. A posted wire fence surrounds the cell, which rises 50 feet above the surrounding landscape and has a total activity of 175 curies of radium-226. As of 1997, the site is under the routine inspection and maintenance of the DOE Office of Legacy Management.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites" Fact Sheet. July 12, 2022. Accessed January 13, 2023.
Sources
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites." Accessed January 13, 2023.U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites" Fact Sheet. July 12, 2022. Accessed January 13, 2023.
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