Making reparations and considering the end use of sites after uranium mining and milling is essential for a sustainable clean nuclear energy future. To embrace the future of carbon-free nuclear energy in fighting climate change as well as enabling advances in nuclear medicine, like public acceptance of small modular reactors, we must holistically examine past practices, clean up sites, and educate people on radiation protection with the nuclear fuel cycle. That’s just what people have been doing for over 50 years in Grand Junction, Colorado USA.

The 1942 Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons created a project office in Grand Junction to develop techniques for extracting uranium from nearby ore deposits. Southwestern Colorado and adjacent Utah are rich in carnotite minerals containing uranium and vanadium. Mining occurred underground and in open pit mines. Ore delivered to Grand Junction came to the Atomic Energy Commission compound along the Gunnison River and then in 1950 to the Climax mill along the Colorado River which operated for 20 years. Grand Junction is located at the confluence of both rivers and the Colorado River was originally called the Grand River. Mill tailings were widely dispersed throughout the community and several state and federal programs occurred from the 1970’s to present to remedy radon exposures.

A new disposal site was built and opened in 1994 to demolish and move the tailings from the Climax mill, which had become a radioactive waste auto junk yard, and mitigate over 4,000 homes to send waste to the new disposal site located only 18 miles from town. The former mill site sat vacant for 20 years until the community rallied behind rebuilding the site into the Las Colonias business river park and event destination. This is the first location to my knowledge where a mill site became a multi-use business city park! Many other communities continue to deal with the legacy of uranium mining, milling, and processing. One of the biggest obstacles to site remediation and reuse is overcoming public outrage, fear, and lack of trust which make politicians shy and funding sources scarce. Grand Junction residents have accepted the low-level radioactive waste tailings disposal site for over 25 years and new discoveries of tailings are frequently made and removed. However, lack of federal government action may result in the closure of the disposal site by 2023 when the permit expires.

Uranium mine reclamation is progressing at various stages around Colorado and Utah within a few hours drive of Grand Junction. Some mining companies have accelerated progress in locating and closing abandoned mines on their properties. Closing open adits is essential to preventing people entering mines. Some openings are closed with bat gates and others with culverts and brick walls. However, the federal government is slowly accessing over 4,000 abandoned uranium mines on public lands that provided ore to the defense program prior to 1970.

Meanwhile, some small to multi-national corporations have left behind open pit mines and pit lakes, released polluted acidic metal-rich solutions from mill sites, contaminated groundwater supplies and rivers, and moved radon into our homes. Industry could proactively remediate sites with public engagement rather than to abandoned sites and expect taxpayers to cover costs of remediation. Governments struggle to enforce laws and remedy contaminated sites to create community parks. The issue of energy and our health should not be black or white, anti or pro-nuclear, but we need to find common ground in the gray area. Many people in the Grand Junction area continue to support uranium mining-milling and site reuse involving all levels of government which can be a model for other communities worldwide.