The Legacy Of Radioactive Areas In Utah's History

Radioactive areas in Utah may not be what they once were but still offer historical insight into the state’s past.

St. George area is famous for downwinders exposed to radiation from a Nevada test site during the 1950s. Nuclear weapon testing materials carried across the winds into central and southern Utah, causing horrific cancers, the Salt Lake Tribune said.

This is probably one of Utah’s most famous radioactive incidents; however, there are a few other places in the state that had their own hazardous waste and issues.

Radioactive Areas in Utah

The mining of certain materials and the waste from that process made four areas in Utah radioactive, though on a different scale from the downwinders incident. These areas span all of Utah and are relatively safe now.

Vitro Chemical Company

Located in SLC, the Virto Chemical Company operated from 1951 to 1968 milling uranium and vanadium, the Wall Street Journal said. There was contaminated soil left during the cleanup by the Utah Department of Environmental Division of Radiation Control.

Though there were aquafers near the sites, the connecting pond didn't pose a risk to the environment or human health.

Green River Mill Site

This site upgraded uranium ore during its operations in the 1900s. The cleanup was done and there were some radioactive tailings left behind but disposed of on site. The Green River Mill Site is under the care of DOE and saved for historical purposes.

Monticello Mill Site

In the small town of Monticello, this site handled uranium and vanadium. However, it was cleaned up as part of the Uranium Mill Tailings Control Act and left to the DOE. It was not included in the 2011 report on residual radiation.

Mexican Hat Mill Site

A 235-acre site that handled uranium ore for two years from 1957 to 1965 under different ownership makes up the Mexican Hat Mill Site history. It was shut down after 1965 and was leased from Navajo Nation Land, the WSJ said.