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.
Interior of the Gunnison Mining Company Mill, 1960, Colorado Mining Association Collection, Colorado School of Mines
Site
Gunnison Processing Site
The Gunnison Mill processed uranium ore from 1958-1962 for the nuclear weapons program. Radioactive mill tailings covered 39 acres of the site, contaminating groundwater with a uranium plume extending nearly a mile from the site. The tailings were removed from 1992 to 1995 from the processing site and local contaminated properties. Uranium concentrations in groundwater (at levels below local standards but above background levels) remain a concern and are still monitored under a Groundwater Compliance Action Plan.
Sources
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites" Fact Sheet. May 2020. Accessed July 31, 2020.Loading...
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