Ep 3: In the Air

By the 1980s, uranium towns like Uravan had weathered a few booms and busts. The promises of the atomic future – like flying cars and limitless electricity – weren’t coming to fruition. Along the way, health professionals began to notice that miners were dying from cancer at alarming rates. As radiological science improved and regulations were put in place, it was clear that uranium posed a health risk to those who mined and lived in uranium towns – but just how much is still a point of contention.

Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown

In this episode:

Tandie Van Sell Morgan, former Uravan resident whose father worked in the uranium mill.

Miguel Morales, professor of physics at the University of Washington

Howard and Caren Stephens, former Uravan residents and Union Carbide employees. Howard worked in various positions with the company, including as a safety engineer.

Dr. John Boice, radiation epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University who published a series of studies on health risks in uranium towns throughout the American West, including in Uravan.

Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University.