For the first time, ProPublica has cataloged cleanup efforts at the 50-plus sites where uranium was processed to fuel the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Even after regulators say cleanup is complete, polluted water and sickness are often left behind.
by Mark Olalde, Mollie Simon and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica
In America’s rush to build the nuclear arsenal that won the Cold War, safety was sacrificed for speed.
Uranium mills that helped fuel the weapons also dumped radioactive and toxic waste into rivers like the Cheyenne in South Dakota and the Animas in Colorado. Thousands of sheep turned blue and died after foraging on land tainted by processing sites in North Dakota. And cancer wards across the West swelled with sick uranium workers.
The U.S. government bankrolled the industry, and mining companies rushed to profit, building more than 50 mills and processing sites to refine uranium ore.

But the government didn’t have a plan for the toxic byproducts of this nuclear assembly line. Some of the more than 250 million tons of toxic and radioactive detritus, known as tailings, scattered into nearby communities, some spilled into streams and some leaked into aquifers.
Recent Posts
How The Supreme Court Could Finally Force Big Oil To Face Trial
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now Dozens of cities and states sued oil giants for deceiving the public. The Supreme Court could soon break these cases out of limbo.…
Bill Fletcher: Keep Fighting Till The Lights Go Out
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now A conversation that touches on internationalism, the expanding political role of Black immigrants, and the need for building…
Iran Blames Israel For Last Week’s Attack On Isfahan Military Site
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now Iran asserted its right to defend itself after the failed drone strikes at the military workshop complex in Isfahan late on Saturday…
Majid Khan Released from Guantánamo After 16 Years
February 2, 2023
Take Action Now Mr. Khan is only the sixth man transferred by the Biden administration and the first resettled in a third country. His transfer marks…