by Wyoming Liberty Group
A nuclear accident isn't the only way a power plant can unintentionally cause radiation exposure that can harm you. Just the process of mining uranium—the essential ingredient in nuclear power—can be problem enough.
The history of uranium mining in Wyoming—and radiation exposure—has proven that.
Why is this important? Well, for one, powerful forces in our state have been talking about making Wyoming a center for nuclear power to generate electricity, and major steps have already been undertaken. A Bill Gates-backed nuclear plant is under development in the Kemmerer area, while other small modular reactors are being contemplated in different parts of the state.
The conversation around building nuclear reactors is one thing, and there's been a lot of that in our state legislature. But often overlooked in the talk is just about the hazards of mining for uranium—a naturally occurring radioactive metal—to make these nuclear reactors work.
That mining history goes back a long way in Wyoming, dating to 1918 when the metal was discovered near Lusk in a silver mine. The demand for uranium spiked after World War II when the Cold War prompted the rush to build nuclear weapons, and the federal government hastened that boom by guaranteeing prices for those who produced uranium.
As it turned out, there were uranium deposits all over Wyoming, including Crooks Gap, Pumpkin Buttes and, notably, Gas Hills, the latter of which became a site for major uranium production at what became known as Lucky Mc Mine in the early 1950s. Indeed, Wyoming boasts the biggest reserves of uranium in the country, with deposits in virtually every county.
Since the 1950s, uranium mining has become a big thing in the Cowboy State, generating millions of pounds in a given year. Wyoming has been a uranium industry leader for many years, and we continue to be the nation's leading producer of uranium, in part because it is easier to access the metal and in a more cost-effective way.
But, the mining of uranium comes with some serious hazards—and those hazards weren't fully understood for many years, especially in the early period of mining, when miners were exposed to radiation at high levels. The problem occurred when miners breathed air in the mines filled with radon and without the necessary ventilation. Studies indicate that those miners, in many cases, ended up with serious health problems, including asthma, kidney failure and lung cancer.
They weren't alone to suffer from the consequences of being exposed to radioactive uranium. Members of the Navajo Nation, for instance, have also suffered from health problems as a result of the mining of uranium that contaminated water. A significant percentage of Navajo households use water from wells that have been contaminated with uranium.
What's more, many homes were constructed with material derived from the uranium mines—and in some cases, that material emitted radon gas, which is radioactive and can cause cancer. In fact, many homes and schools were built in western parts of the state, using the waste material from the uranium mines, unintentionally creating hazards of radiation and radon.
For the Navajo Nation, cancer rates increased dramatically over several years. Livestock was at risk as well, if they consumed water and food contaminated with uranium.
"In the past, the waste rock produced by underground and open pit mining was piled up outside the mine," according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "This practice has caused problems, including on Navajo lands where more than half of the small, abandoned uranium mines from the middle of the 20th century and their wastes remain. Wind can blow 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."
Even more, travelers driving on roads were "in danger of breathing radioactive dust," according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The uranium-producing industry doesn't deny that there have been prior problems of contamination but it says it has taken proper precautions and implemented stringent safety standards.
But we haven't even talked about the radioactive waste that is produced as a result of mining uranium. That waste needs to be stored for a long time in specially designed ponds for cooling. Ultimately, that waste needs to be stored for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years. That presents a whole other set of hazards. All of which Wyoming needs to consider before it rushes headlong into further nuclear activity.