Abandoned Uranium Mines in Capitol Reef
by Carolyn Derstine
Title
Abandoned Uranium Mines in Capitol Reef
Artist
Carolyn Derstine
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Atomic age of the 1950's triggered a search for uranium ore and as a result the Atomic Energy Commission launched the first federally-sponsored mineral rush in history. On July 6, 1952, Charles Steen struck the biggest deposit of high-grade uranium ore in the country, effectively proving there was significant uranium ore on the Colorado Plateau. Steen's strike triggered a mineral rush that rocked the entire Colorado Plateau, encompassing The Four Corners area, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet. By 1955 there were approximately 800 mines producing high-grade ore on the Colorado Plateau. But by 1964, after producing almost 9 million tons of ore valued at $250 million, the Atomic Energy Commission announced that "it is no longer in the interest of the Government to expand production of uranium concentrate." The uranium boom, for now, was over. Utah's fabled uranium boom was not without tragedy as many miners were exposed to hazardous levels of radiation, causing health problems for years to come. The archaeological remains of one of these mines, the Oyler Mine, are preserved today as part of the Capitol Reef National Park. The entrances are closed off by open grate gates, enabling the regional bat population to access the interior of the mines for roosting.
Uploaded
December 2nd, 2016
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