Ep. 4: Atomic Frontier

With the promise of nuclear energy on the horizon, the demand for uranium is reviving a once-dormant industry. After a trip to a nearby uranium mine, it’s clear the region sees this development as a kind of deja vu. Residents are optimistic their prized industry can return. But can uranium mining be safer than it once was? Dedicated opponents upriver, and a decade of legal battles, may say otherwise. Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown In this episode: George Glasier, President and CEO of Western Uranium & Vanadium Mike Rutter, Chief Operating Officer for Western Uranium & Vanadium Wendy Puderbaugh, Western Uranium & Vanadium Steve Puderbaugh, Superintendent at Western Uranium & Vanadium Bruce Norquist, General Manager of Mining Operations for Western Uranium & Vanadium Jennifer Thurston, Executive Director for INFORM, the Information Network for Responsible Mining Ann Maest, aqueous geochemist and scientist at Buka Environmental Rodney Ewing, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Frank Stanton Professor in Nuclear Security, Professor of Geological Sciences, Co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Stanford University) Sara Woods, physical scientist for the Department of Energy in Grand Junction, CO

After Uravan closed and was set for demolition, its residents were forced to scatter elsewhere. Today, its nearby baseball park hosts an annual picnic for former townies who refuse to let the last memories of Uravan die out. In an interview with EPA superfund officials, we learn the philosophy of cleanup that led to the remediation of Uravan and its current status. Close by, a new uranium boom refuses to let the dust settle for long. 
 Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown 
 In this episode: 
 Jane Thompson, president and historian with the Rimrocker Historical Society in Nucla, CO 
 Frances Costanzi and Angela Zachman, Superfund Remedial Project Managers at the Environmental Protection Agency 
 Don Colcord, pharmacist and former resident of Uravan, CO 
 Emily, Joe, and Cindy Latimer, former residents of Uravan, CO 
 Bette Nickell and Jean Nyland, sisters and former residents of Uravan, CO 
 Dr. John Boice, radiation epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University 
 Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University 
 George Glasier, president and CEO of Western Uranium and Vanadium

Far away from the mines of the Colorado Plateau, the first nuclear reactor in the world was built in Washington State. Here, uranium was used to create plutonium at Hanford, transmuting from a helpful ore to a nagging waste. As more atomic veterans died from radiation exposure, their families sought to hold someone accountable — and though it would come back to uranium country eventually, those outside of Colorado would be the first to blaze the trail. Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown In this episode: Docents at the Manhattan Project B Reactor Historic Landmark in Hanford, Washington. John Findlay, professor emeritus at the University of Washington and author of "Atomic Frontier Days: Hanford and the American West." Bob Ince, one-time uranium miner from Gateway, Colorado. Trisha Pritikin, personal injury plaintiff in Hanford downwinder litigation (oral history interview). Michele Gerber, Hanford site historian (oral history interview). Veronica Taylor, a member and elder of the Nez Perce Tribe (oral history interview). Kirk Gladwin, president of the National Cancer Benefits Center.

By the 1980s, uranium towns like Uravan had weathered a few booms and busts. The promises of the atomic future – like flying cars and limitless electricity – weren’t coming to fruition. Along the way, health professionals began to notice that miners were dying from cancer at alarming rates. As radiological science improved and regulations were put in place, it was clear that uranium posed a health risk to those who mined and lived in uranium towns – but just how much is still a point of contention. Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown In this episode: Tandie Van Sell Morgan, former Uravan resident whose father worked in the uranium mill. Miguel Morales, professor of physics at the University of Washington Howard and Caren Stephens, former Uravan residents and Union Carbide employees. Howard worked in various positions with the company, including as a safety engineer. Dr. John Boice, radiation epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University who published a series of studies on health risks in uranium towns throughout the American West, including in Uravan. Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University.

After World War II, uranium became one of the most sought-after elements in the world — and in the sparse canyons of the four-corners region, uranium company towns began to mine the ore for the U.S. Government. The 1950s were the golden years, when rich “uraniumaires” bought private jets and anybody could go from country rags to riches. But before long, the uranium rush would come crashing down. 
 Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown⁠ 
 In this episode: Howard and Caren Stephens, former Union Carbide employees and residents of Uravan 
 Bill Barnes Sr., former Union Carbide mill worker and resident of Uravan 
 Eva Fernandez, former Uravan resident 
 Bob Ince, a one-time uranium miner whose family operated mines in Gateway, CO 
 Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University 


In the early years of atomic science, the discovery of cancer-curing radium drove prospective miners to the far reaches of the Four Corners region of the United States. As they hunted for the rare mineral, workers uncovered a yellow ore called uranium – a glowing rock worth little to nothing at the time. But soon, scientists with the secretive Manhattan Project would set their sights on the isolated deserts of Western Colorado and put that yellowcake to use. After their success, a monumental change was on the horizon. Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown⁠ In this episode: Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University and author of ⁠Yellowcake Towns: Uranium Mining Communities in the American West.⁠ Maxine Johnson, former resident who first moved to Uravan in 1940. ⁠Archival interview with J.P. Moore⁠, courtesy of the Atomic Heritage Foundation and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (All Rights Reserved)

For 50 years Uravan, Colorado, was a uranium hub of America. Mining “yellowcake” was at the center of everyday life here, where generations of kids grew up playing on the tailings of radioactive ore and residents used mine waste as garden beds and doorstops. But then, residents started getting sick. Boom Town: A Uranium Story visits a company town that grew alongside America’s nuclear stockpile, then was buried (literally) underground. Through interviews with historians, health experts, environmentalists, and uranium workers past and present, local documentarian Alec Cowan explores how uranium transformed the American West. As the promise of nuclear energy revives the controversial industry today, will the scars of uranium’s past influence the future? Or are some things best left underground? Releasing July 8 2024 wherever you get your podcasts. Find photos and transcripts for the series at www.aleccowan.com/boomtown