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.
Project Rio Blanco Site, 4/7/12,
Site
Project Rio Blanco Nuclear Test Site
Approximately 52 miles north-northeast of Grand Junction within open grazing and recreation lands outside of Rifle, Colorado, the 1973 Project Rio Blanco test (the third and final experiment for the Plowshare project) used three 33-kiloton nuclear devices placed vertically at varying depths (5,838, 6,230, and 6,686 feet) beneath the surface. All three detonations occurred simultaneously to construct what could be described as an earthen alchemical retort deep within the shale formation that bomb designers hoped would act as a natural “chimney” for the heating, pooling, and collecting of “stimulated gas,” which failed to occur; the three chimney basins remained three independent chambers. The test was conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Nuclear Laboratory and the Atomic Energy Commission in partnership with CER Geo-nuclear Corporation and Continental Oil Company (Conoco). The AEC began decommissioning the site in 1975.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "FUSRAP Considered Sites: Project Rio Blanco (CO.0-09)." Energy.gov. December 16, 2015. Accessed August 1, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Geospatial Environmental Mapping System: Rio Blanco." Accessed August 1, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Rio Blanco, Colorado, Site." Accessed June 3, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Rio Blanco, Colorado, Site" Fact Sheet. July 6, 2022. Accessed February 4, 2023.
Sources
CER Geonuclear. "Project Rio Blanco Final Report Detonation Related Activities." June 30, 1975. Accessed August 1, 2020.U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "FUSRAP Considered Sites: Project Rio Blanco (CO.0-09)." Energy.gov. December 16, 2015. Accessed August 1, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Geospatial Environmental Mapping System: Rio Blanco." Accessed August 1, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Rio Blanco, Colorado, Site." Accessed June 3, 2020.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Rio Blanco, Colorado, Site" Fact Sheet. July 6, 2022. Accessed February 4, 2023.
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