Downwind

On July 16^th, 1945 the first atomic bomb was tested in White Sands, New Mexico. This was known as the Trinity test. Between 1945 and 1992 the United States conducted 1,032 tests of nuclear bombs. There were 200 Atmospheric tests where a bomb was detonated in the sky and 800 below the ground. Due to military secrecy the public was not informed of the possible contamination from fallout. These tests, and uranium mining have affected the health of many people in the southwest.

Image from Trinity Site, July 16, 1945.

The Trinity blast and other nuclear tests pushed radioactive particles  into the atmosphere where they were spread, sometimes thousands of miles on the wind. These particles fell on grazing land, farms, vegetables, and water sources.  People in New Mexico ate produce, meat, and drank water contaminated with radiation. This radiation has been connected to cancer and birth defects. 

“In the years after the Trinity Test, people living in nearby Lincoln, Socorro, Otero, and Sierra counties began to report health issues. Diseases such as heart disease, leukemia, and other cancers appeared in families who had no prior history. People who reported these incidents became known as “Downwinders” because they lived near or downwind from the test site.” Trinity Test Downwinders, Manhattan Project National Park. Jade Ryerson, Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education.

After the public learned about the dangers of radiation, and other countries (Russia and China) had similar weapons the United States government issued publication about how the public could be protected from fallout. Because the continued tests were surrounded by secrecy the public was not warned of fallout from tests.

New Mexico is rich in uranium and the Grants district was one of the top ten producers in the world. Miners were not warned of the dangers of radon. Lark Washburn of Grand Junction, Colorado told Congress “I have been mining uranium for many years, but until just a few years ago I had never heard of radon, and I had never met any of her ‘daughters.’” Miners were sent home with contaminated clothing, and discarded rocks from the mines were used to build homes.

 

“From 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands under leases with the Navajo Nation.” EPA 

When in an unventilated area, like a mine tunnel, radioactive Alpha particles can accumulate and these are harmful when  inhaled. Wind blowing dust from tailing heaps (waste material from mines) sends “radioactive dust from the wastes into populated areas and the wastes can contaminate surface water used for drinking. Some sites also have considerable groundwater contamination.” EPA   Before 1980 tailings heaps were not lined, allowing contaminants to enter the groundwater. Inhaling or consuming radiation can lead to cancer of the lungs, bones and impaired kidney function. 

The Navajo people were significantly impacted by uranium mining. Many Navajo people worked in the mines and their families lived near the mines or milling operations. There are over 500 abandoned mines on or near the Navajo Nations and many homes and water sources are contaminated with elevated levels of radiation.  EPA 

“Uranium mining and milling on and near the Reservation has been a disaster for the Navajo people” George Arthur, Chairman, Resources Committee, Navajo Nation Council, 2007

Prospecting for Uranium. Image from Prospecting with a Counter. United States Atomic Energy Commission. Washington, D.C., 1954, page III.

Photo of Jakepile Mine by Bruce Thompson, author of: Environmental Contamination from Uranium Mining & Milling in the Western U.S., Chapt. 15 in Practical Applications of Medical Geology, 3^rd ed., R. Finkleman, M. Siegel (eds.), Springer Pubs., pp. 475-523.

As more people learned of the dangers of radiation exposure there were efforts to limit testing of bombs. The Limited Test Ban Treaty between the United States and Russia was signed in 1962 to stop test in the atmosphere, space and underwater.

By 1969 it was known that better ventilation was needed in uranium mines. Requirements for forced ventilation improved working conditions but there were already many miners who had been exposed.

In 1970 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created and given responsibility over radiation pollution.

In 1978 the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) was passed. This act is a federal law that provides for the safe and environmentally sound disposal, long-term stabilization, and control of uranium mill tailings in a manner that minimizes or eliminates radiation health hazards to the public. One method of storing radioactive waste is to bury it, this led to the creation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

In 1990 the "Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (“the Act” or “RECA”), 42 U.S.C. § 2210 note, established an administrative program for claims relating to atmospheric nuclear testing and uranium industry employment."- Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This program was extended to allow claims to be filed until June 10, 2024. 

In 2005 the Navajo Nation passed the Diné Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005 to prevent further mining of uranium on tribal lands.

The issue of exposure has not gone away. In 2019 there was a congressional hearing, America’s nuclear past : examining the effects of radiation in Indian country. This hearing included testimony regarding exposure to radiation and encourage the passing of amendments to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act which would expand coverage to more people suffering from radiation related diseases.