Nuclear energy has been increasingly discussed as an alternative to fossil fuels because we already have most of the infrastructure in place, it is relatively safe when compared to other fossil fuels, and the fuel source is readily available. However, many people are more hesitant when it comes to nuclear, from seeing it as a temporary fix, to a horrible idea that should never happen. In this article ‘Left in the Dust: Uranium’s Legacy and Victims of Mill Tailings Exposure in Monticello, Utah,” by Stephanie Malin and Peggy Petrzelka, they explored some of the reasons that many are apprehensive towards the development of nuclear energy, specifically with the health impacts and environmental injustices made evident to the surrounding rural communities.
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They also pointed out that Monticello is a predominantly white, low income community, that are geographically isolated and already have two superfund sites near other mining sites. Next they explained their methods of research which included document analysis of the San Juan County Paper, editorials, letters, Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Report on the mining site, independent review of that ATSDR report, Atomic Energy Commission, Public Health Service, and Bureau of Land Management Staff Reports, and interviews of the Victims of Mill Tailings Exposure members, field notes, and transcript analysis. Their findings included over 150,000 square miles of contaminated tailings used in construction, 600 cancer cases and 100 cases of respiratory illnesses out of a population of 1958, the town being located over 100 miles from any hospitable equipped to treat their illnesses, and government memos and documents calling the community a “low- use segment of the population” as well as conflicting conclusions telling the residents that the area was safe, but the staff to vacate the premises and postpone the projects and …show more content…
They made it easily accessible and applicable to the issues relating to nuclear energy, they brought up new and pressing topics surrounding nuclear energy development, and even though they could have been more detailed in their scientific evidence, it is suggested as a new avenue for further research. They used a variety of data that was credible and relevant and they explained it in a way that kept the paper focused and effective. I hope that more papers like this come up in the near future in the hopes of influencing and educating those policy makers when approving and debating where we will turn to for our sources of
They also pointed out that Monticello is a predominantly white, low income community, that are geographically isolated and already have two superfund sites near other mining sites. Next they explained their methods of research which included document analysis of the San Juan County Paper, editorials, letters, Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Report on the mining site, independent review of that ATSDR report, Atomic Energy Commission, Public Health Service, and Bureau of Land Management Staff Reports, and interviews of the Victims of Mill Tailings Exposure members, field notes, and transcript analysis. Their findings included over 150,000 square miles of contaminated tailings used in construction, 600 cancer cases and 100 cases of respiratory illnesses out of a population of 1958, the town being located over 100 miles from any hospitable equipped to treat their illnesses, and government memos and documents calling the community a “low- use segment of the population” as well as conflicting conclusions telling the residents that the area was safe, but the staff to vacate the premises and postpone the projects and …show more content…
They made it easily accessible and applicable to the issues relating to nuclear energy, they brought up new and pressing topics surrounding nuclear energy development, and even though they could have been more detailed in their scientific evidence, it is suggested as a new avenue for further research. They used a variety of data that was credible and relevant and they explained it in a way that kept the paper focused and effective. I hope that more papers like this come up in the near future in the hopes of influencing and educating those policy makers when approving and debating where we will turn to for our sources of