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.
Mark Iverson, Paradox Valley, Colorado, proposed site of mothballed Piñon Canyon Uranium Mill, 2008, Wikimedia Commons
Site
Defeated Piñon Ridge Uranium Mill
In the mid 2000s, anticipating an increased demand for uranium for commercial nuclear power, Colorado-based Energy Fuels Resources Corp. acquired about 1,000 acres of land near the mining town of Naturita. Although Energy Fuels first hoped for an operational mine in 2010, the permitting process dragged on for years. The company applied for a radioactive materials license from the Colorado Department of Health and the Environment (CDPHE) in 2009, which was opposed by the rapidly growing tourism industry and environmental groups, including Information Network for Responsible Mining, Western Mining Action Network, Sheep Mountain Alliance, Advocacy Coalition of Telluride, Saving Paradox, and the Paradox Valley Sustainability Association. Legal challenges mounted, delaying the acquisition of permits, while uranium ore prices plummeted (contrary to a previously anticipated surge in uranium exploration) following world events such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. By the time a second materials license was granted in 2014, the company no longer had the need for the project nor the funds to build it, as it had purchased the White Mesa Mill in nearby Utah. Energy Fuels sold the property and the materials license for the proposed uranium mill to a private investor group (led by Baobab Asset Management and former Energy Fuels president George Glasier) in 2014 for a net gain of $1.5 million plus expenses.
The Department of Energy (DOE) program to mine uranium in the Paradox Valley area had been put on hold in 2011, when a court injunction required an additional environmental review on potential impacts to fish. To comply with the court order, DOE included Piñon Ridge’s potential water use in a revised biological report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Separately, however, in April 2018, the CDPHE revoked the mill’s radioactive materials permit after a District Court judge concluded that the proposed mill project failed to demonstrate adequate environmental protections. The company has not appealed the ruling, effectively ending the project despite the larger injunction against mining operations being lifted in 2019.
Mimiaga, Jim. "Judge Lifts Injunction on Uranium Mining in Paradox Valley." The Durango Herald, May 7, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed January 13, 2023.
Tisdel Wright, Samantha. "Judge Greenlights Renewed Uranium Mining in West End." Telluride Daily Planet, June 2, 2019. Accessed January 13, 2023.
WISE Uranium Projects. "New Uranium Mining Projects - Colorado, USA." August 1, 2020 [last updated]. Accessed August 7, 2020.
The Department of Energy (DOE) program to mine uranium in the Paradox Valley area had been put on hold in 2011, when a court injunction required an additional environmental review on potential impacts to fish. To comply with the court order, DOE included Piñon Ridge’s potential water use in a revised biological report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Separately, however, in April 2018, the CDPHE revoked the mill’s radioactive materials permit after a District Court judge concluded that the proposed mill project failed to demonstrate adequate environmental protections. The company has not appealed the ruling, effectively ending the project despite the larger injunction against mining operations being lifted in 2019.
Sources
McRann, Collin. "Energy Fuels Sells Piñon Ridge License." Telluride Daily Planet, May 13, 2015 [last updated]. Accessed July 31, 2020.Mimiaga, Jim. "Judge Lifts Injunction on Uranium Mining in Paradox Valley." The Durango Herald, May 7, 2019 [last updated]. Accessed January 13, 2023.
Tisdel Wright, Samantha. "Judge Greenlights Renewed Uranium Mining in West End." Telluride Daily Planet, June 2, 2019. Accessed January 13, 2023.
WISE Uranium Projects. "New Uranium Mining Projects - Colorado, USA." August 1, 2020 [last updated]. Accessed August 7, 2020.
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