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.
Sarah Kanouse, Warning sign at the Lincoln Park Superfund Site, Cañon City, Colorado, 2010, Flickr
Site
Lincoln Park Superfund Site
The Lincoln Park Superfund Site includes the 2,600-acre Located south of Cañon City in Fremont County, Colorado, the Cotter Uranium Mill opened in 1958 and was used as a uranium processing site for nuclear weapons and fuel. Cotter Corporation produced yellowcake as well as vanadium and molybdenum as byproducts. Yellowcake is the solid form of mixed uranium oxide, which is made from uranium ore in the milling process. The mill was originally licensed by the Atomic Energy Commission, but the authority for the licensing was transferred to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 1968 when Colorado became an Agreement State.
Historical mill operations and disposal practices released radioactive and metal contamination into the environment. Waste was stored in unlined ponds until 1978, and in 1984 the 2,600-acre uranium mill and areas of mill-associated contamination, including the Lincoln Park community, were added to the National Priorities List (“Superfund”). Despite this designation, uranium ore was processed on site until 2006, and the state allowed Cotter to maintain operations until 2011. It has since been divided into two “operable units" for remediation: the contaminated mill site (including its ponds) and the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Since reclamation efforts began, Cotter Corporation had been cited for numerous environmental violations. According to a 2014 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry report, contaminated water remains a risk for local residents of Cañon City and those living downstream along the Arkansas River. In March 2018 the Superfund site was bought by Colorado Legacy Land along with the Central City Schwartzwalder Mine. The two projects encompass a total of 3,300 acres of freehold land which are subject to a mine reclamation permit and radiation materials licenses.
Earthworks. "Lincoln Park / Cotter Mill." Accessed July 31, 2020.
Finely, Bruce. "Cotter Negotiates amid Spills and Uranium Spike by River in Cañon City." The Denver Post, March 13, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Rose, Sarah. "Lincoln Park Superfund Site Under New Ownership." Cañon City Daily Record, April 15, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed July 31, 2020.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Lincoln Park Cañon City, CO Cleanup Activities." Accessed July 31, 2020.Cotter Mill in Cañon City, which operated from 1958-2011 and processed uranium for nuclear weapons and fuel. Cotter started producing yellowcake—the solid form of mixed uranium oxide—at the Cañon City mill in August 1958 under a license acquired from the Atomic Energy Commission. In addition to yellowcake, the mill produced vanadium and molybdenum as byproducts. From 1958 to 1978, Cotter stored radioactive wastes and heavy metals in unlined ponds. By 1984, both nearby wells and groundwater were contaminated, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the mill a Superfund site. Despite this designation, uranium ore was processed on site until 2006, and the state allowed Cotter to maintain operations until 2011. Then-owner General Atomics entered into negotiations with the EPA and the Colorado state government over remediation. However, spills and pipe breaks have repeatedly released tens of thousands of gallons of highly radioactive water into the ground.
Grassroots groups, such as Colorado Citizens Against Toxic Waste, pressure the state to speed cleanup and improve standards. People most at risk from the contamination include the residents of Cañon City and those living downstream along the Arkansas River. In March 2018 the Superfund site was bought by Colorado Legacy Land along with the Central City 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.
Schwartzwalder Mine. The two projects encompass a total of 3,300 acres of freehold land which are subject to a mine reclamation permit and radiation materials licenses.
Finely, Bruce. "Cotter Negotiates amid Spills and Uranium Spike by River in Cañon City." The Denver Post, March 13, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Lewis, Hilary. "Lincoln Park / Cotter Mill. Earthworks, May 1, 2017. Accessed January 13, 2023.
Rose, Sarah. "Lincoln Park Superfund Site Under New Ownership." Cañon City Daily Record, April 15, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed July 31, 2020.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Lincoln Park Cañon City, CO Cleanup Activities." Accessed July 31, 2020.
Historical mill operations and disposal practices released radioactive and metal contamination into the environment. Waste was stored in unlined ponds until 1978, and in 1984 the 2,600-acre uranium mill and areas of mill-associated contamination, including the Lincoln Park community, were added to the National Priorities List (“Superfund”). Despite this designation, uranium ore was processed on site until 2006, and the state allowed Cotter to maintain operations until 2011. It has since been divided into two “operable units" for remediation: the contaminated mill site (including its ponds) and the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Since reclamation efforts began, Cotter Corporation had been cited for numerous environmental violations. According to a 2014 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry report, contaminated water remains a risk for local residents of Cañon City and those living downstream along the Arkansas River. In March 2018 the Superfund site was bought by Colorado Legacy Land along with the Central City Schwartzwalder Mine. The two projects encompass a total of 3,300 acres of freehold land which are subject to a mine reclamation permit and radiation materials licenses.
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.Earthworks. "Lincoln Park / Cotter Mill." Accessed July 31, 2020.
Finely, Bruce. "Cotter Negotiates amid Spills and Uranium Spike by River in Cañon City." The Denver Post, March 13, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Rose, Sarah. "Lincoln Park Superfund Site Under New Ownership." Cañon City Daily Record, April 15, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed July 31, 2020.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Lincoln Park Cañon City, CO Cleanup Activities." Accessed July 31, 2020.Cotter Mill in Cañon City, which operated from 1958-2011 and processed uranium for nuclear weapons and fuel. Cotter started producing yellowcake—the solid form of mixed uranium oxide—at the Cañon City mill in August 1958 under a license acquired from the Atomic Energy Commission. In addition to yellowcake, the mill produced vanadium and molybdenum as byproducts. From 1958 to 1978, Cotter stored radioactive wastes and heavy metals in unlined ponds. By 1984, both nearby wells and groundwater were contaminated, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the mill a Superfund site. Despite this designation, uranium ore was processed on site until 2006, and the state allowed Cotter to maintain operations until 2011. Then-owner General Atomics entered into negotiations with the EPA and the Colorado state government over remediation. However, spills and pipe breaks have repeatedly released tens of thousands of gallons of highly radioactive water into the ground.
Grassroots groups, such as Colorado Citizens Against Toxic Waste, pressure the state to speed cleanup and improve standards. People most at risk from the contamination include the residents of Cañon City and those living downstream along the Arkansas River. In March 2018 the Superfund site was bought by Colorado Legacy Land along with the Central City 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.
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.
Schwartzwalder Mine. The two projects encompass a total of 3,300 acres of freehold land which are subject to a mine reclamation permit and radiation materials licenses.
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.Finely, Bruce. "Cotter Negotiates amid Spills and Uranium Spike by River in Cañon City." The Denver Post, March 13, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2020.
Lewis, Hilary. "Lincoln Park / Cotter Mill. Earthworks, May 1, 2017. Accessed January 13, 2023.
Rose, Sarah. "Lincoln Park Superfund Site Under New Ownership." Cañon City Daily Record, April 15, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed July 31, 2020.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Lincoln Park Cañon City, CO Cleanup Activities." Accessed July 31, 2020.
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