These green shimmers of Uranium were thought
to be harmless by Spokane's miners
Most of the discussions in this blog have focused on severe environmental racism issues in the U.S. South and Midwest, as well as distant developing countries. Little has been brought up about the environmental racism cases that have happened, or are still ongoing, in Washington State. The Northwest is known for being a "green" place, and we seem to have fewer major environmental racism issues than other places in the U.S. While we are lucky to live in a more environmentally friendly place, Washington State is not without its own environmental racism.
During the Cold War, Spokane, a city in Eastern Washington, became the home of uranium mining to develop nuclear capabilities. The United States government was in the race for nuclear control against the Soviet Union, and so the mining was pushed forward with little regard for the surrounding environment or communities. The site was specifically located on the Spokane Indian Reservation, just outside of town. The reservation was home to 2,464 people. Spokane's tribal members became the main workers for the uranium mine.
All most 65 years later, the Spokane Tribe is suffering greatly from the environmental and health impacts of the uranium mine. The community around the mine has both been exposed to direct toxic by-product of the materials, and they have also had the natural resources they relied on for generations severely contaminated. Food and water produced near the site are simply too hazardous to consume. There have been as many as 40 hot spots for radiation exposure in this area.
In 2000, the Spokane uranium mine was declared a Superfund site. This was followed shortly by a lawsuit between the EPA and Newmont Mining Company, to determine responsibility for the damages. The Spokane tribe had a difficult time organizing to bring forth the issue of contamination. The tribe has also been largely removed from the decision making process regarding the mine. As of October 2011, the federal government came to agreement with Newmont Mining to conduct a $193 million clean up of the Spokane mine.
Reference from: http://www.ouramericangeneration.org
Image from: http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jun/05/i-watch-them-die-young-and-old/
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