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, An abandoned mine overlooks the Dolores river in Western Colorado, 2014,
Site
Slick Rock Mining District
The area of the Slick Rock district saw the first production of uranium on the Colorado Plateau. The Slick Rock mining district, whose principal producing area was known originally as the McIntyre district, was one of the first in the Colorado Plateau region to attract attention for its deposits of uranium, vanadium, and radium. Mining began again in 1949 for the major production of uranium, with vanadium as a byproduct. This period lasted until 1983 and ended when the price of uranium went into serious decline. Renewed interest in demand for uranium is reviving mining in the district.
The Slick Rock processing sites consist of two former uranium and vanadium ore processing facilities located in a remote area of southwest Colorado about 22 miles north of the town of Dove Creek in San Miguel County. In 1945, the federal government acquired control of the facility through the Union Mines Development Corporation to supply uranium for the Manhattan Project. The Slick Rock West mill closed in 1961, leaving radioactive tailings from mill operations. In 1995, about 671,000 cubic yards of these contaminated materials were relocated to the Slick Rock disposal site.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Slick Rock, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites" Fact Sheet. May 2020. Accessed June 10, 2021.
The Slick Rock processing sites consist of two former uranium and vanadium ore processing facilities located in a remote area of southwest Colorado about 22 miles north of the town of Dove Creek in San Miguel County. In 1945, the federal government acquired control of the facility through the Union Mines Development Corporation to supply uranium for the Manhattan Project. The Slick Rock West mill closed in 1961, leaving radioactive tailings from mill operations. In 1995, about 671,000 cubic yards of these contaminated materials were relocated to the Slick Rock disposal site.
Sources
Shawe, Daniel R. "Uranium-Vanadium Deposits of the Slick Rock District, Colorado." USGS Professional Paper 576-F. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. 2011. Accessed July 31, 2020.U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management. "Slick Rock, Colorado, Disposal and Processing Sites" Fact Sheet. May 2020. Accessed June 10, 2021.
Loading...
Continue on "Key Colorado Uranium Mines"