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How America Built A Secret Appalachian City To Develop Atomic Weapons – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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How America Built A Secret Appalachian City To Develop Atomic Weapons

By Mason Adams, Published February 4, 2026 – 4:23 pm

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This conversation originally aired in the Feb. 2, 2026 episode of Inside Appalachia.

In the 1940s, scientists worked feverishly to create the atomic bomb, which ultimately was dropped on two Japanese cities in August 1945. 

Appalachia played a key part in the project through the creation and development of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a secret city that was developed by the federal government beginning in 1942. 

A new PBS American Experience film explores that history. It’s called Bombshell, and details how the U.S. manipulated the public narrative about the bomb’s development and deployment. 

• See also at: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/bombshell/ and embedded from YouTube at the end of this post.

Author Greg Mitchell appears as an expert in the film and spoke with Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

Adams: Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was and continues to be, a center for nuclear research. Can you talk a little bit about the role it played during the development of the atomic bomb?

Mitchell: Well, it was absolutely vital. For better or worse, we would not have had the atomic bomb without the Oak Ridge project. In a nutshell, when the go-ahead was given to attempt to build an atomic bomb, which was very iffy, we needed uranium and some plutonium to help create the bomb. And that’s very, very rare in nature, so they had to basically create it.

The key plant, especially at the start, would be Oak Ridge. Of course, it didn’t exist when the war started. They had to clear the land and drive out local residents, of which there weren’t that many. The Oak Ridge area was chosen because the Tennessee Valley Authority, was nearby, and it was open land. It had to be top secret. I mean secret, secret — secret beyond belief, almost. Massive spending went into building these very large facilities, very large plants, very large laboratories. People may have the vision of chemists in their little labs with test tubes, but it was nothing like that. It was an enormous, enormous project. 

Los Alamos gets all the publicity, with [Robert] Oppenheimer and General [Leslie] Groves and so forth. Probably a lot of people think that the bomb was basically created at Los Alamos, when in fact it was just various scientists and other experts, designing and discussing. But they needed the raw materials, and that had to come mainly from Oak Ridge and from Hanford, Washington, another secret, secret city. Oak Ridge, to do this, used what became known as uranium enrichment — all these very, very difficult processes that had to be done. They needed so many employees and workers that the “secret city” had to end up having schools and hospitals and movie theaters and grocery stores, everything that would be in a city. And the city grew to 75,000 residents, and there was always an enormous housing shortage, issues like that. 

It was segregated as the South was then, but they did incredible work in accomplishing the goals of getting just enough uranium and plutonium to be able to make the early bombs. When the war ended, Oak Ridge was still there. Its population went down, but it continued on. Today, it’s still an important area. I think there’s only 31,000 population, but it’s a real city.

Adams: We’ll come back to Oak Ridge in just a minute, but I wanted to talk real quickly about the PBS documentary Bombshell, in which you appear. It details how the U.S. government downplayed and pushed back on coverage of its atomic weapons program. How and why was the federal government trying to influence press reports about the Manhattan Project and the bombings in Japan?

Mitchell: Well, it was a sensitive area. On the one hand, you had the image — and what was put out right from the start, from day one, — was that this weapon would be crucial in ending the war and saving American lives and so forth. Of course, the atomic bomb itself was secret, so they had to announce both the bombing of Japan and the existence of an atomic weapon at the same time. As you can imagine, there was massive publicity about it. One part of the documentary is about the New York Times reporter William L. Lawrence, who had joined the Manhattan Project during its early years and became its chief propagandist. He gave up his job at the New York Times temporarily, and then he went back to New York Times and wrote pieces based on his inside experience. He was not exactly an unbiased observer. There’s a section in the film about William L. Lawrence, who is known as “Atomic Bill.” 

The American public responded to the atomic bombings of Japan. Some people were appalled that we dropped the bomb over two cities and that the vast, vast majority of those killed were civilians. But probably the overwhelming majority felt that it helped end the war, and that, at least in these cases, they welcomed the use of the bomb, and embraced it at least temporarily. The problem was that we were planning to build more and bigger bombs, and so people were scared about those bombs being used against us.

Caption: People suffering burns received dabs of transformer oil brought from the nearby Hiroshima Electric Railway. The girl in the foreground, wearing a sailor style uniform with a triangular collar, and the girl to her left were second-year students at Hiroshima Girls’ Commercial School (then 13 years old) who experienced the atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Postal Savings Bureau in Senda-machi 1-chome, where they were mobilized to work, but survived

The boy second to the right of the police officer from the Ujina Police Station was a first-year student at Hiroshima Municipal Junior High School (then 12 years old) who experienced the atomic bombing in Koami-cho (now part of Naka Ward), where he was helping to demolish buildings to create fire lanes. It is believed he was on his way to his home in Danbarasuehiro-cho (now Danbara in Minami Ward), where he lived with his parents. He went missing and his remains were never found. (Distance from hypocenter 2200 meters.)

Photo taken in August 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun.

Photo Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images. Photo Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Adams: In Bombshell, there’s a section of the film about Harold Jacobson. He’s a scientist at Oak Ridge in Bombshell. You describe him as “a junior Manhattan Project Scientist at Oak Ridge, no big deal, no key figure,” but he does figure into the film and into history. What did he do? What happened?

Mitchell: Probably the main concern on the publicity front that needed to be managed by the government was the fact of radiation with this bomb, they tried to picture it as just a massively bigger bomb, and did not want to focus on the radiation aspects. Of course, that’s what made this bomb even more different. They called it propaganda and a hoax, the fact that Japanese civilians were dying from radiation disease afterwards. This was this very scary new aspect of the bomb that they had. It put the bomb more in the category of chemical or biological weapons, which were banned around the world even then. 

Harold Jacobson was quoted as — I don’t know if it was originally in the New York Times, but it was in the New York Times and newspapers around the country — claiming that we wouldn’t be able to occupy Hiroshima for, I think, 70 years. Somehow, he came to that because of lingering radiation. Of course, U.S. troops were heading to Hiroshima and Nagasaki with our soldiers for occupation. So that was especially scary. There was a flurry of attention for his claim. A few U.S. scientists got in there very early and did readings, which were accurate or not, but Oppenheimer himself was quoted saying, “No, this is nonsense.” So many experts weighed in that Jacobson’s views were pushed aside and largely forgotten. At least he drew attention to the fact that there was a tremendous radiation issue surrounding the atomic bomb.

Adams: Eighty years later, how have these claims sorted out? Was Jacobson right? Were Oppenheimer and the government scientists right? What’s your read? 

Mitchell: As a historian, I’ve spent a month in Hiroshima, and I can tell you, it’s an average very, very large city. People had to move back there. Like any disaster, you have all these thousands of people uprooted, and they moved back and searched for their families and found some remains and found, in some cases, where their houses had stood and all that. There was a big drive to move back there, and the U.S., in fact, sent in an occupying force starting a month or so after the bombing. Studies have been done ever since, and they found definitely an increase in various forms of cancer, various genetic defects, other sorts of illnesses and diseases connected to radiation exposure. But there always was a question, was it from the immediate exposure from the day of the bomb or the couple days after, or people being affected a month later? But clearly there was many, many thousands who were negatively affected by being exposed to radiation after the bombing.

Adams: Here in 2025, all these years later, we’re still dealing with the fallout from these events, and journalists are dealing with similar efforts by the federal government to control coverage. So, what lessons do you draw from this historic episode? What do you think this documentary and this moment in history has to tell us today?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp8mh8iZTe4

See also: The film “Oppenheimer,” linked below…

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: How America Built A Secret Appalachian City To Develop Atomic Weapons – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

2025 #UraniumFilmFestival - Greetings from #Mururoa (#BonsBaisersDeMoruroa)

France, 2016, Director Larbi Benchiha, production: Aligal production and France Télévisions, documentary, French, English subtitles, 52 min.

"Excellent documentary about #France's #AtomicBomb tests in the #SouthPacific at the #MururoaAtoll. The filmmaker allows the surviving atomic tests veterans to speak up. They unknowingly irradiated themselves and their families.

" 'My biggest regret is to have contaminated my daughters, and may be my grandchildren', says atomic bomb veteran Florence Bourel. She had stayed several times at the atomic bases of Moruroa. Her daughter Marion, 22 years, it suffers from several #radiation-induced diseases and #cancer. Like her mother, she is also afraid of the future: '... and if I have children, will they be healthy'“ Florence was proud to work for the good of France. There, in the blue lagoon where the bombs exploded, she was diving and water skiing. 'The hierarchy has never mentioned any risks. They only said we should not eat fish from the lagoon and wipe with a sarong and not a towel.' "

"Dans le documentaire « Bons baisers de Moruroa » diffusé lundi 15 février après le Soir 3, Larbi Benchiha, le réalisateur, aborde le problème des conséquences transgénérationnelles des irradiations des essais nucléaires pratiqués sur l'atoll entre 1966 et 1996."

Watch (Vimeo): https://vimeo.com/230926871

Watch (YT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UutlPcfiEV0

#NoNukes #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons
#NoNuclearWeaponsTesting #AtomicBombs #NuclearWeapons #InternationalUraniumFilmFestival

2025 #UraniumFilmFestival - Greetings from #Mururoa (#BonsBaisersDeMoruroa)

France, 2016, Director Larbi Benchiha, production: Aligal production and France Télévisions, documentary, French, English subtitles, 52 min.

"Excellent documentary about #France's #AtomicBomb tests in the #SouthPacific at the #MururoaAtoll. The filmmaker allows the surviving atomic tests veterans to speak up. They unknowingly irradiated themselves and their families.

" 'My biggest regret is to have contaminated my daughters, and may be my grandchildren', says atomic bomb veteran Florence Bourel. She had stayed several times at the atomic bases of Moruroa. Her daughter Marion, 22 years, it suffers from several #radiation-induced diseases and #cancer. Like her mother, she is also afraid of the future: '... and if I have children, will they be healthy'“ Florence was proud to work for the good of France. There, in the blue lagoon where the bombs exploded, she was diving and water skiing. 'The hierarchy has never mentioned any risks. They only said we should not eat fish from the lagoon and wipe with a sarong and not a towel.' "

"Dans le documentaire « Bons baisers de Moruroa » diffusé lundi 15 février après le Soir 3, Larbi Benchiha, le réalisateur, aborde le problème des conséquences transgénérationnelles des irradiations des essais nucléaires pratiqués sur l'atoll entre 1966 et 1996."

Watch (Vimeo): https://vimeo.com/230926871

Watch (YT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UutlPcfiEV0

#NoNukes #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons
#NoNuclearWeaponsTesting #AtomicBombs #NuclearWeapons #InternationalUraniumFilmFestival

2025 #UraniumFilmFestival - Silent War - In The Shadows of #AtomicBombs

Part 1: DAWN OF THE APOCALYPSE

Part 2: NUCLEAR MIRROR WORLDS

Germany/France, 2025, Directors: Dirk van den Berg and Pascal Verroust, produced by Dirk van den Berg / OutreMer Film with ZDF & ZDF Studios, Documentary, English, 104 minutes

"80 years after the atomic bombs and the beginning of the #ColdWar, the fear of #NuclearWar is back. Does Europe need more nuclear independence today? Must we re-define nuclear deterrence? Will old and new superpowers force their will upon the rest of the world by "protecting" conventional wars with their nuclear arsenals? And, do we even have the political vocabulary for a new world order that threatens to end the long peace since the end of the last World War – or are we already in a new war?

"SILENT WAR debunks the narratives about atomic bombs, nuclear deterrence and the Cold War, in occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima attack in 2025. SILENT WAR is based on groundbreaking research by nuclear historian Robert 'Bo'Jacobs, and his book '#NuclearBodies', acclaimed as one of the most important contributions to the history of atomic weapons and the Cold War.' "

cc: @bojacobs

FMI and trailer:
https://silentwar.outremerfilm.com/silentwar.html

#BoJacobs #Hiroshima #NoNukes #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #InternationalUraniumFilmFestival

2025 #UraniumFilmFestival - Silent War - In The Shadows of #AtomicBombs

Part 1: DAWN OF THE APOCALYPSE

Part 2: NUCLEAR MIRROR WORLDS

Germany/France, 2025, Directors: Dirk van den Berg and Pascal Verroust, produced by Dirk van den Berg / OutreMer Film with ZDF & ZDF Studios, Documentary, English, 104 minutes

"80 years after the atomic bombs and the beginning of the #ColdWar, the fear of #NuclearWar is back. Does Europe need more nuclear independence today? Must we re-define nuclear deterrence? Will old and new superpowers force their will upon the rest of the world by "protecting" conventional wars with their nuclear arsenals? And, do we even have the political vocabulary for a new world order that threatens to end the long peace since the end of the last World War – or are we already in a new war?

"SILENT WAR debunks the narratives about atomic bombs, nuclear deterrence and the Cold War, in occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima attack in 2025. SILENT WAR is based on groundbreaking research by nuclear historian Robert 'Bo'Jacobs, and his book '#NuclearBodies', acclaimed as one of the most important contributions to the history of atomic weapons and the Cold War.' "

cc: @bojacobs

FMI and trailer:
https://silentwar.outremerfilm.com/silentwar.html

#BoJacobs #Hiroshima #NoNukes #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #InternationalUraniumFilmFestival

Are going to enter the age of DIY 3D printed nuclear weapons?
#nuclearbombs #nuclearweapons #nuclearenergy #nuclearproliferation #nuclearterrorism #3dprinters #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #3dprintedweapons #atomicbombs #wmd #diy

The Atomic Bombs Exploded on Earth

https://kottke.org/25/09/the-thousands-of-atomic-bombs-exploded-on-earth

#HackerNews #AtomicBombs #ExplodedOnEarth #History #ofNuclearWeapons #Kottke #NewsScience #NuclearHistory

The Atomic Bombs Exploded on Earth

https://kottke.org/25/09/the-thousands-of-atomic-bombs-exploded-on-earth

#HackerNews #AtomicBombs #ExplodedOnEarth #History #ofNuclearWeapons #Kottke #NewsScience #NuclearHistory

80 Years After the Atomic Bombings, Reconciling Idealism and Reality

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings against Japan, discussions on the significance of nuclear we…
#Japan #JP #JapanNews #atomicbomb #atomicbombs #georgewill #Hiroshima #Nagasaki #news #non-proliferation #nucleardeterence #nuclearweapon #nuclearweapons #politics&security #trump #vladimirputin #yoshihisakomori
https://www.alojapan.com/1345968/80-years-after-the-atomic-bombings-reconciling-idealism-and-reality/

https://www.alojapan.com/1345968/80-years-after-the-atomic-bombings-reconciling-idealism-and-reality/ 80 Years After the Atomic Bombings, Reconciling Idealism and Reality #AtomicBomb #AtomicBombs #GeorgeWill #Hiroshima #Japan #JapanNews #Nagasaki #news #NonProliferation #NuclearDeterence #NuclearWeapon #NuclearWeapons #Politics&Security #trump #VladimirPutin #YoshihisaKomori As we mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings against Japan, discussions on the significance of nuclear weapons have also taken place in the United States’ c

Two recent books gather the memories of the last survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and share their stories with the world.
#atomicbombs #nuclearweapons #war

https://progressive.org/magazine/last-witnesses-tell-horrifying-tales-of-the-first-atomic-bomb-carrier-20250807/

Two recent books gather the memories of the last survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and share their stories with the world.
#atomicbombs #nuclearweapons #war

https://progressive.org/magazine/last-witnesses-tell-horrifying-tales-of-the-first-atomic-bomb-carrier-20250807/

Message to the "House of Mica"

The Hopi had prophesied that the world leaders would gather in a Great House of Mica to try and find peaceful solutions to world problems.

In 1948, Hopi elders ranging in ages from 80 to 100, tried to bring their message to the newly formed United Nations, but were unsuccessful. They had seen the "#GourdOfAshes" (#AtomicBombs) many years ago, and knew that it was time to bring their message to the world. #ThomasBanyacya of the Wolf, Fox and Coyote clan, was one of four messengers chosen by the Elders, and in 1992 he finally succeeded.

In his 1992 address to the United Nations, Banyacya predicted increasing #floods, stronger #hurricanes, #ClimateChanges and #earthquakes, which are warning signs from the Creator for us to wake up spiritually.

He spoke of a possible third world war, which some Hopi believe almost began with the Persian Gulf War, something that is looming on the horizon yet again. They say this is a time for all to choose peace.

Banyacya also brought up the sanctity of the #FourCorners area, and said it had "a special purpose in the future in order for humankind to survive."

Another part of the Hopi message spoke of the importance of conducting ceremonies to prevent terrible earth changes. Singing, dancing and fasting are all part of the necessary work to help heal Mother Earth. Banyacya spoke of conducting ceremonies in each of the four directions -- something Chief #ArvolLookinghorse has been doing for the last three years with the #WorldPeaceAndPrayerDay ceremonies.

Last year, Banyacya spoke with some #PeruvianElders who wanted to share their prophecies that soon all indigenous people would come together as one nation.

Unfortunately, he will not see this dream realized in this lifetime, as he passed away this past February at the age of 89.

Another elder involved in the United Nations message was #DanKachenogva, the Chief of the Sun Clan who passed away in 1972. He was one of a six-man delegation which planned to travel to the United Nations in 1959 to try and deliver their message of prophecy. Their mission was cut short when a crisis erupted in the Hopi motherland because of the betrayal of Indian-U.S. land treaties.

Two years before he died, he gave a public talk regarding the prophecies. Regarding the third and decisive event of the prophecy he stated, "This [third] event will depend upon the Red Symbol, which will take command, setting the four forces of nature (Meha) in motion for the benefit of the Sun. We know certain people are commissioned to bring about the #Purification. It is the universal Plan from the beginning of creation, and we are looking up to them to bring purification to us. It is in the rock writings throughout the world, on different continents. We will come together if people all over the world know about it. So we urge you to spread this word around so people will know about it, and the appointed ones will hurry up with their task..." (from "The Return of Pahana: a Hopi Myth," by Robert Boissiere, Bear & Co., 1990.)
#HopiProphecy #Koyaaniqatsi #NoUraniumMining #NuclearWeapons #ProphecyRock #ClimateChange

Message to the "House of Mica"

The Hopi had prophesied that the world leaders would gather in a Great House of Mica to try and find peaceful solutions to world problems.

In 1948, Hopi elders ranging in ages from 80 to 100, tried to bring their message to the newly formed United Nations, but were unsuccessful. They had seen the "#GourdOfAshes" (#AtomicBombs) many years ago, and knew that it was time to bring their message to the world. #ThomasBanyacya of the Wolf, Fox and Coyote clan, was one of four messengers chosen by the Elders, and in 1992 he finally succeeded.

In his 1992 address to the United Nations, Banyacya predicted increasing #floods, stronger #hurricanes, #ClimateChanges and #earthquakes, which are warning signs from the Creator for us to wake up spiritually.

He spoke of a possible third world war, which some Hopi believe almost began with the Persian Gulf War, something that is looming on the horizon yet again. They say this is a time for all to choose peace.

Banyacya also brought up the sanctity of the #FourCorners area, and said it had "a special purpose in the future in order for humankind to survive."

Another part of the Hopi message spoke of the importance of conducting ceremonies to prevent terrible earth changes. Singing, dancing and fasting are all part of the necessary work to help heal Mother Earth. Banyacya spoke of conducting ceremonies in each of the four directions -- something Chief #ArvolLookinghorse has been doing for the last three years with the #WorldPeaceAndPrayerDay ceremonies.

Last year, Banyacya spoke with some #PeruvianElders who wanted to share their prophecies that soon all indigenous people would come together as one nation.

Unfortunately, he will not see this dream realized in this lifetime, as he passed away this past February at the age of 89.

Another elder involved in the United Nations message was #DanKachenogva, the Chief of the Sun Clan who passed away in 1972. He was one of a six-man delegation which planned to travel to the United Nations in 1959 to try and deliver their message of prophecy. Their mission was cut short when a crisis erupted in the Hopi motherland because of the betrayal of Indian-U.S. land treaties.

Two years before he died, he gave a public talk regarding the prophecies. Regarding the third and decisive event of the prophecy he stated, "This [third] event will depend upon the Red Symbol, which will take command, setting the four forces of nature (Meha) in motion for the benefit of the Sun. We know certain people are commissioned to bring about the #Purification. It is the universal Plan from the beginning of creation, and we are looking up to them to bring purification to us. It is in the rock writings throughout the world, on different continents. We will come together if people all over the world know about it. So we urge you to spread this word around so people will know about it, and the appointed ones will hurry up with their task..." (from "The Return of Pahana: a Hopi Myth," by Robert Boissiere, Bear & Co., 1990.)
#HopiProphecy #Koyaaniqatsi #NoUraniumMining #NuclearWeapons #ProphecyRock #ClimateChange

[Video] Voices from #whitemesa Part 4: "I Love My Community"

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001632

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism
#Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons
#UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust
#RadioactiveContamination
#ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife
#NoUraniumMining

[Video] Voices from #whitemesa Part 4: "I Love My Community"

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001632

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism
#Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons
#UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust
#RadioactiveContamination
#ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife
#NoUraniumMining

[Video] Voices from White Mesa, Part 3: "We're Here to Say No"

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001559

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism
#Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons
#UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust
#RadioactiveContamination
#ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife
#NoUraniumMining

[Video] Voices from White Mesa, Part 3: "We're Here to Say No"

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001559

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism
#Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons
#UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust
#RadioactiveContamination
#ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife
#NoUraniumMining

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"On Oct. 12, members of the #UteMountainUte Tribe held their annual #SpiritualWalk opposing the #WhiteMesaUraniumMill in Southern #Utah.

"The mill, which processes uranium and other substances, sits on sacred land just north of the tribe’s reservation boundary and is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

"Local organizers with White Mesa Concerned Community and their supporters organize the walk each year to raise awareness about the mill and demand it be shut down and cleaned up.

"Participants rallied before walking five miles to the mill site. Unicorn Riot heard from participants and organizers along the route."

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001512

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

[Video] Voices from #WhiteMesa, Part 2: "We Are One People"

"On Oct. 12, members of the #UteMountainUte Tribe held their annual #SpiritualWalk opposing the #WhiteMesaUraniumMill in Southern #Utah.

"The mill, which processes uranium and other substances, sits on sacred land just north of the tribe’s reservation boundary and is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

"Local organizers with White Mesa Concerned Community and their supporters organize the walk each year to raise awareness about the mill and demand it be shut down and cleaned up.

"Participants rallied before walking five miles to the mill site. Unicorn Riot heard from participants and organizers along the route."

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001512

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

[Video] Voices from #WhiteMesa, Part 1: "Don't Nuke My Culture"

"On Oct. 12, members of the #UteMountainUte Tribe held their annual #SpiritualWalk opposing the #WhiteMesaUraniumMill in Southern #Utah.

"The mill, which processes uranium and other substances, sits on sacred land just north of the tribe’s reservation boundary and is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

"Local organizers with White Mesa Concerned Community and their supporters organize the walk each year to raise awareness about the mill and demand it be shut down and cleaned up.

"Participants rallied before walking five miles to the mill site. Unicorn Riot heard from participants and organizers along the route."

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001432

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

[Video] Voices from #WhiteMesa, Part 1: "Don't Nuke My Culture"

"On Oct. 12, members of the #UteMountainUte Tribe held their annual #SpiritualWalk opposing the #WhiteMesaUraniumMill in Southern #Utah.

"The mill, which processes uranium and other substances, sits on sacred land just north of the tribe’s reservation boundary and is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

"Local organizers with White Mesa Concerned Community and their supporters organize the walk each year to raise awareness about the mill and demand it be shut down and cleaned up.

"Participants rallied before walking five miles to the mill site. Unicorn Riot heard from participants and organizers along the route."

Watch: https://vimeo.com/1023001432

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

[Thread] #Indigenous #SpiritualWalk in #Utah #Protests Last Conventional #UraniumMill

By Alex Binder, Unicorn Riot November 1, 2024

#WhiteMesa, #Utah — "The #WhiteMesaMill was built in 1979 with plans to process #uranium ore for 15 years. With the facility now well past its initial operational lifespan, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, other Indigenous tribes and allies continue their call for it to be shut down and cleaned up. On October 12, over 75 people participated in an annual spiritual walk in opposition to the mill, which is the last conventional uranium processing plant in operation in the United States.

"Participants met at the White Mesa Community Center in southern Utah at 11 a.m., then walked five miles north on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 191 to rally outside the mill. Throughout the hours-long walk, Unicorn Riot spoke with attendees about their opposition to the 45-year-old mill owned by Energy Fuels Inc."

Thread contains links to the four videos...

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/indigenous-spiritual-walk-in-utah-protests-last-conventional-uranium-mill/

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

[Thread] #Indigenous #SpiritualWalk in #Utah #Protests Last Conventional #UraniumMill

By Alex Binder, Unicorn Riot November 1, 2024

#WhiteMesa, #Utah — "The #WhiteMesaMill was built in 1979 with plans to process #uranium ore for 15 years. With the facility now well past its initial operational lifespan, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, other Indigenous tribes and allies continue their call for it to be shut down and cleaned up. On October 12, over 75 people participated in an annual spiritual walk in opposition to the mill, which is the last conventional uranium processing plant in operation in the United States.

"Participants met at the White Mesa Community Center in southern Utah at 11 a.m., then walked five miles north on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 191 to rally outside the mill. Throughout the hours-long walk, Unicorn Riot spoke with attendees about their opposition to the 45-year-old mill owned by Energy Fuels Inc."

Thread contains links to the four videos...

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/indigenous-spiritual-walk-in-utah-protests-last-conventional-uranium-mill/

#UnicornRiot #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife #UteMountainUte #NoUraniumMining #UraniumMills

The Dirty Secrets: #Whales, the #GrandCanyon and #WarCriminals

by #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews
November 22, 2024

"People who travel the world will tell you two things that they really love: Whales and the Grand Canyon.

"The majestic Orca whales are now at risk from the massive oil tankers departing the shores of British Columbia with thick crude oil from Alberta tar sands in Canada, bound for distant refineries and ports.

"Meanwhile, in the heart of the Southwest, the Grand Canyon, loved by the people of the world, now has a uranium mine spewing radioactive dust into the air, and endangering Havasupai's aquifer and future generations.

"Neither the Appeals Court in Canada, nor the U.S. EPA and Interior have done anything to stop these assaults on the most beloved natural wonders in the world, whales and the Grand Canyon.

"Rueben George, səlilwətaɬ, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, remembers the long fight to halt the Trans Mountain Pipeline, now carrying crude oil from Alberta tar sands to the Salish Sea, which flows off the shores of British Columbia and Washington State to the Pacific.

"George said they thought they were winning their case in Canada's Appeal Court.

"'They said you're right it's going to kill all the Orca whales, you're right -- but we're going to build it anyway,' George said at the Salish Sea Assembly in Seattle in November.

"The uranium mine in the Grand Canyon is now spraying radioactive dust on Havasupai's medicine plants, and into the air for the world's travelers to breathe. The uranium mine, operated by Energy Fuels of Canada, threatens the aquifer of Havasupai and future generations.

"The mine's radioactive truck transport is a deadly risk for Supai, Paiute, Dine', Hopi and Ute on the haul route. The radioactive ore is transported by truck to the Energy Fuels mill in the White Mesa Ute community in southeastern Utah.

"Interior's Deb Haaland, who is Laguna Pueblo and Norwegian, has not only failed to halt the deadly risks and destruction, but has proclaimed that the atomic bomb industry, Los Alamos National Laboratory, will lead the green 'energy transition.'

"Los Alamos Labs produces nuclear weapons and is already poisoning the Pueblo homelands in northern New Mexico with radiation. A federal judge recently halted the push to produce and store more plutonium at the site, citing a risk to the environment."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-dirty-secrets-whales-grand-canyon.html

#AlbertaTarSands #TarSands #LosAlamos #EnvironmentalRacism #Plutonium #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #DebHaaland #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Supai #Paiute #Dine' #Hopi #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #WhiteMesa #Havasupai #SalishSeaAssembly #Salish #OceansAreLife #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #TsleilWaututh #TsleilWaututhNation #CanadasAppealsCourt #TransmountainPipeline #RuebenGeorge #BritishColumbia #WashingtonState #NoUraniumMining #NoTarSands #Oiligarchy #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #ProtectHaKamwe #NavajoTransitionalEnergyCompany #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife

The Dirty Secrets: #Whales, the #GrandCanyon and #WarCriminals

by #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews
November 22, 2024

"People who travel the world will tell you two things that they really love: Whales and the Grand Canyon.

"The majestic Orca whales are now at risk from the massive oil tankers departing the shores of British Columbia with thick crude oil from Alberta tar sands in Canada, bound for distant refineries and ports.

"Meanwhile, in the heart of the Southwest, the Grand Canyon, loved by the people of the world, now has a uranium mine spewing radioactive dust into the air, and endangering Havasupai's aquifer and future generations.

"Neither the Appeals Court in Canada, nor the U.S. EPA and Interior have done anything to stop these assaults on the most beloved natural wonders in the world, whales and the Grand Canyon.

"Rueben George, səlilwətaɬ, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, remembers the long fight to halt the Trans Mountain Pipeline, now carrying crude oil from Alberta tar sands to the Salish Sea, which flows off the shores of British Columbia and Washington State to the Pacific.

"George said they thought they were winning their case in Canada's Appeal Court.

"'They said you're right it's going to kill all the Orca whales, you're right -- but we're going to build it anyway,' George said at the Salish Sea Assembly in Seattle in November.

"The uranium mine in the Grand Canyon is now spraying radioactive dust on Havasupai's medicine plants, and into the air for the world's travelers to breathe. The uranium mine, operated by Energy Fuels of Canada, threatens the aquifer of Havasupai and future generations.

"The mine's radioactive truck transport is a deadly risk for Supai, Paiute, Dine', Hopi and Ute on the haul route. The radioactive ore is transported by truck to the Energy Fuels mill in the White Mesa Ute community in southeastern Utah.

"Interior's Deb Haaland, who is Laguna Pueblo and Norwegian, has not only failed to halt the deadly risks and destruction, but has proclaimed that the atomic bomb industry, Los Alamos National Laboratory, will lead the green 'energy transition.'

"Los Alamos Labs produces nuclear weapons and is already poisoning the Pueblo homelands in northern New Mexico with radiation. A federal judge recently halted the push to produce and store more plutonium at the site, citing a risk to the environment."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-dirty-secrets-whales-grand-canyon.html

#AlbertaTarSands #TarSands #LosAlamos #EnvironmentalRacism #Plutonium #Greenwashing #NuclearWeapons #UraniumMining #UraniumMills #DebHaaland #NuclearIndustry #AtomicBombs #Downwinders #Environment #WaterIsLife #Supai #Paiute #Dine' #Hopi #Ute #HaulNo #EnergyFuels #WhiteMesaUte #WhiteMesa #Havasupai #SalishSeaAssembly #Salish #OceansAreLife #RadioactiveDust #RadioactiveContamination #TsleilWaututh #TsleilWaututhNation #CanadasAppealsCourt #TransmountainPipeline #RuebenGeorge #BritishColumbia #WashingtonState #NoUraniumMining #NoTarSands #Oiligarchy #ExtractiveIndustries #CorporateColonialism #ReaderSupportedNews #ProtectHaKamwe #NavajoTransitionalEnergyCompany #DefendTheSacred #AirIsLife

Interesting event that combines bicycling with atomic bombs...

"Ride with a Ranger participants will join National Park Service Rangers and REACH Museum staff on a 13-mile round-trip ride that starts at the Green Bridge Historical Marker near the south side of the Cable Bridge in Kennewick. From there, riders will bike the Sacajawea Heritage Trail along river and then ride through Columbia Park to the REACH Museum. There will be two stops along the route for presentations. At the REACH, participants will have the opportunity to attend programs about the Manhattan Project and explore indoor and outdoor exhibits."

#AtomicBombs #Nukes #BikeTooter #WA
https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/news/2024-09-24-hanford-fall-programs.htm

Interesting event that combines bicycling with atomic bombs...

"Ride with a Ranger participants will join National Park Service Rangers and REACH Museum staff on a 13-mile round-trip ride that starts at the Green Bridge Historical Marker near the south side of the Cable Bridge in Kennewick. From there, riders will bike the Sacajawea Heritage Trail along river and then ride through Columbia Park to the REACH Museum. There will be two stops along the route for presentations. At the REACH, participants will have the opportunity to attend programs about the Manhattan Project and explore indoor and outdoor exhibits."

#AtomicBombs #Nukes #BikeTooter #WA
https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/news/2024-09-24-hanford-fall-programs.htm

February 2024: #Texas #wildfires forces shutdown at #NuclearWeapons facility. Here is what we know

by Michael Casey

"#Pantex is one of six production facilities in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Security Enterprise. The plant has been the main U.S. site for assembling and disassembling #AtomicBombs since 1975. It produced its last new bomb in 1991, and has dismantled thousands of weapons retired from #military stockpiles. Pantex says on its website that it places 'the resulting plutonium pits in interim storage,' but it does not explain what that means. The company did not respond to questions about nuclear storage at the site."

[...]

"The fire definitely had an impact. The company said Tuesday night that plant operations had 'paused until further notice,' but that 'all weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected.' Asked about the potential danger of the wildfire, a spokesperson would only say that Pantex 'has robust facilities designed to prevent fire from damaging site facilities.'"

https://apnews.com/article/texas-wildfires-nuclear-facility-pantex-16bfa90f49b65b604f63744a9aee3b97

#Wildfires #ClimateChange #NoNukes #NoDumping
#FutureGenerations
#NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearWaste #NuclearWeaponsDump

February 2024: #Texas #wildfires forces shutdown at #NuclearWeapons facility. Here is what we know

by Michael Casey

"#Pantex is one of six production facilities in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Security Enterprise. The plant has been the main U.S. site for assembling and disassembling #AtomicBombs since 1975. It produced its last new bomb in 1991, and has dismantled thousands of weapons retired from #military stockpiles. Pantex says on its website that it places 'the resulting plutonium pits in interim storage,' but it does not explain what that means. The company did not respond to questions about nuclear storage at the site."

[...]

"The fire definitely had an impact. The company said Tuesday night that plant operations had 'paused until further notice,' but that 'all weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected.' Asked about the potential danger of the wildfire, a spokesperson would only say that Pantex 'has robust facilities designed to prevent fire from damaging site facilities.'"

https://apnews.com/article/texas-wildfires-nuclear-facility-pantex-16bfa90f49b65b604f63744a9aee3b97

#Wildfires #ClimateChange #NoNukes #NoDumping
#FutureGenerations
#NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearWaste #NuclearWeaponsDump

Sites with #radioactive material more vulnerable as #ClimateChange increases #wildfire, #flood risks

By TAMMY WEBBER
Updated 1:04 AM EDT, May 22, 2024

"As #Texas #wildfires burned toward the nation’s primary #NuclearWeapons facility, workers hurried to ensure nothing flammable was around buildings and storage areas.

"When the fires showed no sign of slowing, #Pantex Plant officials urgently called on local contractors, who arrived within minutes with bulldozers to dig trenches and enlarge fire breaks for the sprawling complex where nuclear weapons are assembled and disassembled and dangerous #plutonium pits — hollow spheres that trigger nuclear warheads and bombs — are stored."

[...]

"Dozens of active and idle laboratories and manufacturing and #military facilities across the nation that use, store or are contaminated with radioactive material are increasingly vulnerable to #ExtremeWeather. Many also perform critical energy and defense research and manufacturing that could be disrupted or crippled by fires, floods and other disasters.

"There’s the 40-square-mile #LosAlamos National Laboratory in #NewMexico, where a 2000 wildfire burned to within a half mile (0.8 kilometers) of a #RadioactiveWaste site. The heavily polluted #SantaSusana Field Laboratory [#SSFL] in Southern #California, where a 2018 wildfire burned 80% of the site, narrowly missing an area #contaminated by a 1959 partial #NuclearMeltdown. And the #plutonium-contaminated #Hanford nuclear site in #Washington, where the U.S. manufactured #AtomicBombs.

"'I think we’re still early in recognizing climate change and ... how to deal with these extreme weather events,' said Paul Walker, program director at the environmental organization Green Cross International and a former staff member of the House Armed Services Committee. 'I think it’s too early to assume that we’ve got all the worst-case scenarios resolved ... (because) what might have been safe 25 years ago probably is no longer safe.”

https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-flood-climate-change-nuclear-radioactive-sites-72bf711fe931a051709e44199c656267

#WaterIsLife #NoNukes #NoDumping #FutureGenerations #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearWaste

Sites with #radioactive material more vulnerable as #ClimateChange increases #wildfire, #flood risks

By TAMMY WEBBER
Updated 1:04 AM EDT, May 22, 2024

"As #Texas #wildfires burned toward the nation’s primary #NuclearWeapons facility, workers hurried to ensure nothing flammable was around buildings and storage areas.

"When the fires showed no sign of slowing, #Pantex Plant officials urgently called on local contractors, who arrived within minutes with bulldozers to dig trenches and enlarge fire breaks for the sprawling complex where nuclear weapons are assembled and disassembled and dangerous #plutonium pits — hollow spheres that trigger nuclear warheads and bombs — are stored."

[...]

"Dozens of active and idle laboratories and manufacturing and #military facilities across the nation that use, store or are contaminated with radioactive material are increasingly vulnerable to #ExtremeWeather. Many also perform critical energy and defense research and manufacturing that could be disrupted or crippled by fires, floods and other disasters.

"There’s the 40-square-mile #LosAlamos National Laboratory in #NewMexico, where a 2000 wildfire burned to within a half mile (0.8 kilometers) of a #RadioactiveWaste site. The heavily polluted #SantaSusana Field Laboratory [#SSFL] in Southern #California, where a 2018 wildfire burned 80% of the site, narrowly missing an area #contaminated by a 1959 partial #NuclearMeltdown. And the #plutonium-contaminated #Hanford nuclear site in #Washington, where the U.S. manufactured #AtomicBombs.

"'I think we’re still early in recognizing climate change and ... how to deal with these extreme weather events,' said Paul Walker, program director at the environmental organization Green Cross International and a former staff member of the House Armed Services Committee. 'I think it’s too early to assume that we’ve got all the worst-case scenarios resolved ... (because) what might have been safe 25 years ago probably is no longer safe.”

https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-flood-climate-change-nuclear-radioactive-sites-72bf711fe931a051709e44199c656267

#WaterIsLife #NoNukes #NoDumping #FutureGenerations #NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearWaste

> the perennial limiting of this retelling to the actions and thoughts of the perpetrators perpetuates the American narrative—that the story is about the feelings, thoughts and actions of those who committed a war crime, not on the actual crimes or the victims.. the perpetrators’ perspective—reinforces the view that those acting are important, and those being acted upon are…statistics.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/06/the-american-narrative-of-hiroshima-is-a-statue-that-must-be-toppled/
#Oppenheimer #AtomicBombs
/HT @bojacobs

> .. Intondi shows that from early on, blacks in America saw the use of atomic bombs as a racial issue, asking why such enormous resources were being spent building nuclear arms instead of being used to improve impoverished communities.
https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=23490
#VincentJIntondi
\HT @bojacobs
#AtomicBombs #NoNukes #AntiPovertyMeasures

Hamas was also in #Hiroshima and #Nagasaki in the 40s. The US #atomicbombs were legitimate.

It looks as if the “Barbie” movie’s celebration of diversity and the message of female empowerment will be overpowered by its association with the atomic bomb https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2023/08/23/japan/barbie-japan/?utm_content=buffer8644d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #commentary #japan #barbie #movies #women039sissues #atomicbombs

It looks as if the “Barbie” movie’s celebration of diversity and the message of female empowerment will be overpowered by its association with the atomic bomb https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2023/08/23/japan/barbie-japan/?utm_content=buffer8644d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #commentary #japan #barbie #movies #women039sissues #atomicbombs

The “Barbenheimer” craze ("Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" movies) shows the U.S. education system needs work and Americans need lessons on nuclear weapons. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2023/08/04/japan/barbie-oppenheimer-nuclear-weapons/?utm_content=buffer76837&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #commentary #japan #hiroshima #nagasaki #atomicbombs #nuclearweapons #wwii #barbie #oppenheimer

The “Barbenheimer” craze ("Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" movies) shows the U.S. education system needs work and Americans need lessons on nuclear weapons. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2023/08/04/japan/barbie-oppenheimer-nuclear-weapons/?utm_content=buffer76837&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #commentary #japan #hiroshima #nagasaki #atomicbombs #nuclearweapons #wwii #barbie #oppenheimer

If you dig weird #psychonautic #music, it's #drone and #ambient and is loosely themed around #nuclear #atomicbombs and tests but is hopefully still #meditative and even #spirtual
then perhaps you would dig the massively long double album

"Singularity Shore"

It's free to DL on #bandcamp

https://edouardinnoi.bandcamp.com/track/portal-of-cosmos