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A ZINE ABOUT NUCLEAR

FALL 2015 | UNM SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES | R.A. New Mexico is famous for being the home of the world’s first atomic bomb, but it is also home to many people, animals, and natural wonders. Since the Manhattan Project, New Mexico has become a sacrifice zone for the nuclear industry. Not only are health risks not fully disclosed with New Mexico inhabitants, but accidents have destroyed livelihoods. I made this zine to spread awareness about the impact of nuclearism in the place I call home, the place my family has called home for many S A C R generations, the place I love with all of my heart. With its colorful rock formations, high desert landscapes, sunshine-filled days, summer rainstorms, and rich cultural history, it is so much more than a rural state. New Mexico has been home to a wide ray of ecosystems for millions of years, and I F I C E it is a place that deserves to be protected. Z O N E It’s okay, it’s rural.

SACRFICEZONE: noun a geographic area that has been impaired by environmental damage or economic disinvestment, most commonly found in low-income and minority communities Mescalero Apache Reservation Sunspot N U C L E A R H O M E Mesilla Tularosa Nogal Tinnie TRINITY WATER Orogranda Weed 1945Eagle Creek Oscura 35 MI EAST OF SOCORRO Lake Arthur Radium Springs The world’s first atomic bomb detonation Lake Holloman Ruidoso of Gadget was tested in White Sands as Lake Lucero San Patricio Lost River Socorro a part of the Manhattan Project. It was the is Sands White world’s largest gypsum sand dunefield. a smaller version of Fat Man, one of the Malpais Springs two bombs dropped on Japan. Surrounding Rio Bonito communities were exposed to fallout Rio Honda radiation from the test. Heat from the Rio Penasco explosion froze the sand and radioactive Rio Ruiodoso glass covered the ground for many years. Sacramento River Salt Creek Tularosa Creek

LAND Chihauhaun Desert Chupadera Mesa Dog Canyon National Park Jarilla Mountains Lincon National Forest Otero Mesa Sacramento Mountains WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE 1948-PRESENT San Augustin Mountains 25 MI EAST OF LAS CRUCES Tularosa Valley Basin The range is the largest military White Sands National Monument controlled area in the United States. Along with various missile and rocket testing, PEOPLE White Sands Test Center conducts nuclear Alamagordo weapons effects experiments at the site. Alto Bent Boles Acres Carrizoza Cloudcroft Dona Ana Fairacres Fort Stanton Honda Holloman Air Force Base Glencoe La Luz Las Cruces Lincoln Mayhill N U C L E A R H O M E

PROJECT GNOME WATER 1958-1961 Black River 25 MI EAST OF CARLSBAD Blue Springs Underground nuclear explosions were Brantley Lake State Park conducted as science experiments. The seal Laguna Quatro to the tunnel did not work as planned, and Laguna Walden as a result some radiation was released. Laguna Uno The experiments were deemed successful. Lake Arthur Lake Avalon Lake McMillan Pecos River Rattlesnake Springs Red Bluff Reservoir Rio Pinasco South Seven Rivers Ten Mile Lake

LAND Carlsbad Caverns Chihauhaun Desert Dark Canyon Guadalupe Mountains National Park WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT Lechuguilla Cave 1979-PRESENT Lincoln National Forest 25 MI SOUTH OF CARLSBAD Living Desert State Park (1/2 MILE UNDERGROUND) Rocky Arroyo The United State’s only permanent storage Slaughter Canyon Cave facility for nuclear waste contains bomb Spider Cave and experiment waste that will remain Walnut Canyon radioactive for 10,000 years. In 2014, a barrel from Los Alamos National Labs leaked PEOPLE radioactive waste into the facility, Artesia causing contamination below and above Atoka ground. The plant has stayed shut down since. Carlsbad Happy Valley Hope La Huerta Lakewood Loving Carlsbad Caverns is one of the Malaga world’s largest ancient sea chambers. Otis Seven Rivers Whites City N U C L E A R H O M E

GRANTS URANIUM MINING DISTRICT WATER 1950s-1998 Ambrosia Lake 20 MI EAST OF GRANTS Hosta Butte During the boom of the uranium industry, Rio Puerco many companies mined the Grants Mineral Rio San Jose Belt and left radioactive mill tailing Smiths Lake Mt. Taylor is an extinct volcano that is a sacred site for many Native American tribes. piles all around the area, causing severe health issues to the communities. About 100 LAND abandoned mines are in the Grants Mineral Bandero Volcano Belt that continue to be radioactive. Blue Water Lake State Park Cibola National Forest MOUNT TAYLOR URANIUM MINE El Malpais National Monument 1969-1989 El Morro National Monument 25 mi east of Las Cruces Grants Mineral Belt The mine was used as a testing site for Junction Cave in situ leaching, which is when a solution Lava Tube Ice Caves is pumped into rock to dissolve the La Ventana Natural Arch uranium ore and then pumped back up. Morrison Formation The process left high level radioactive Mt. Taylor waste and contaminated groundwater. Poison Canyon San Mateo Mountains Sandstone Bluff JACKPILE-PAGUATE URANIUM MINE Three Sisters Volcanoes 1953-1982 West Water Canyon 0 MILES FROM LAGUNA PUEBLO The mine was one of the world’s largest open pit uranium mines. 400 million tons PEOPLE of earth was removed and after over a Acoma Pueblo decade of clean-up, the area has not Acomaita reached safety standards for radiation. Anaconda Bluewater Village Casablanca Cebolleta Gallup Grants Laguna Pueblo Mesita McCartys Milan Paguate Prewitt San Mateo San Rafael Seama Seboyeta Skyline-Ganipa N U C L E A R H O M E

CHURCH ROCK URANIUM MILL SPILL WATER 1979Agua Remora 17 MI NORTH OF GALLUP Arroyo Chico On the anniversary of Trinity, the dam Rio Nutria of a mining and milling facility in the Rio Puerco Grants Mining District broke and released Whiskey Lake 1,000 tons of radioactive mill waste and Zuni River about 100 million gallons of radioactive tailings into the Rio Puerco. It contam- LAND inated water for as far as 80 miles in Continental Divide Nation including aquifers, crops, Church Rock and feedstock. Warnings were issued but they were all issued in English instead Kit Carson Cave of Navajo, so many residents were not Pyramid Rock aware for several days that their water Red Rock State Park was contaminated. The accident was the Zuni Mountains United State’s largest release of radio- active materials. Even though the spill PEOPLE was the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. Allison history, it received little news coverage Blackrock and the victims received little help from Brimhall the government. Church Rock Crownpoint Fort Wingate Gallup Gamerco Mentmore Mexican Springs Perea Ramah Reservation Rehoboth Standing Rock Tohatchi Vanderwagon Zuni Pueblo

Many New Mexico rock formations, including Church Rock, are from different periods in history, such as Jurassic and Triassic, and are visible in Red Rock. N U C L E A R H O M E

URENCO NATIONAL ENRICHMENT FACILITY WATER 2010-PRESENT Ogallala Aquifer 5 MI EAST OF EUNICE Ranger Lake URENCO, the first nuclear fuel enrichment facility in the U.S., uses technology LAND that was developed by the Manhattan Capitan Reef The Capitan Reef is one preserved most the of fossilized reefs in the world containing species from over millions of years. Project to make highly reactive Mescalero Sands Dunes uranium. The plant currently holds its waste on site. PEOPLE Bennett Buckeye Caprock Crossroads Eunice Hobbs Humble city Jal Lovington Maljamar McDonald Monument Tatum WASTE CONTROL SPECIALISTS 1989-PRESENT 25 mi east of Las Cruces The private waste disposal facility, owned by a Texas company, is a treatement and storage facility as well as a mixed waste landfill for radioactive and hazardous waste. The landfill is planned to be buried once it is full. N U C L E A R H O M E

SHIPROCK MILL AND DISPOSAL CELL WATER 1944-1986 Allen Arroyo 25 MI EAST OF FARMINGTON Animas River The facility was built to help make the Chaco River first nuclear bombs for the Manhattan Chama River Project and continued to assist making El Vado bombs during the cold war. Radioactive Heron waste from the facility contaminated the Rio Arriba land and water but residents living on Rio Chama the land who did not speak English were San Juan River not aware. Some of the contaminated earth San Marcos was buried and filled, but the area is Stinking Lake still in the process of being cleaned up among many other nearby mines. Over 500 LAND abandoned uranium mines are within Navajo Canon Largo Nation that continually emit radiation. Carson National Forest Chaco Culture National Park Chama Canyon PROJECT GASBUGGY Colorado Plateau 1967Corizzo Mountains 50 MI EAST OF FARMINGTON Leandro Canyon The United States Energy Commission Navajo Lake detonated a nuclear explosion underground San Juan Basin as an experiment for fracturing rock to Shiprock release natural gas. The explosion was larger than in Hiroshima and could be felt PEOPLE by residents living nearby. The ground Apache collapsed as a result and released Aztec radiation. Some of the radioactive earth Beclabedo was removed, but the area is still Blanco considered contaminated. Bloomfield Cedar Hill Chama Dulce Ensenada Farmington Flora Vista Fruitland Gallina Goberrador Nageezi Carson Forest contains archaeological Jicarilla Ojito sites and the state’s highest mountain Kirtland Rutheron peak. La Plata Shiprock Lindrith Tierra Amarilla Llaves Toadlena Los Ojos Tocito Lumberton Ute Monero Waterflow Santa Fe N U C L E A R H O M E Tesuque White Rock MANHATTAN PROJECT WATER Zia 1942-1946 Agua Sarca Creek 35 MI FROM SANTA FE Alamo Creek The Manhattan Project was located in Los Cochiti Lake Alamos during World War II, where the first Coyote Arroyo atomic bombs were created. The radioactive Jara Arroyo The stunning White Rock Canyon was carved by River. Grande Rio the waste remaining from the Manhattan Project Largo Arroyo was buried underground in Los Alamos. Rio Grande River

LAND Alamo Canyon Ancho Canyon Bandalier National Monument Barranca Mesa Bayo Canyon Chino Mesa Frijoles Mesa Guaja Canyon Los Alamos Canyon Mesita de Buey Mortandad Canyon LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS Pajurito Mountain 1943-PRESENT Potrillo Canyon 0 MI FROM LOS ALAMOS Pueblo Canyon Los Alamos National Labs was established Sagebrush Flats as a research and experiment center that Sandia Canyon would work on classified nuclear weap- Santa Fe National Forest on projects. The facility has 2,000 Tent Rocks National Monument dump sites, including one in the canyon White Rock Canyon below the labs. The dump sites have contaminated the land and water. PEOPLE While the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Agua Fria cannot accept more waste, the labs are Algodones keeping their nuclear waste on site. Cerillos Cochiti Pueblo Espanola Jemez Pueblo Jemez Springs Kewa Los Alamos Madrid Nambe Pena Blanca Ponderosa San Ysirdo Santa Clara Santa Cruz N U C L E A R H O M E

SANDIA NATIONAL LABS WATER 0 MI FROM ALBUQUERQUE Calabacillas Arroyo Sandia National Labs is government owned Rio Grande River and federally funded. It maintains the nation’s nuclear weapon stockpile and LAND conducts various nuclear experiments. Chihuahuan Desert The are the start of North America’s great Rocky Mountains. Several radiation releases have been reported by the labs. While the Waste Petroglyph National Monument Isolation Pilot Plant has been shut Sandia Mountains down, nuclear waste is stored on site. PEOPLE Alameda Albuquerque Belen Bernallilo Bosque Farms Carnuel Cedar Crest Edgewood Isleta Pueblo Kirtland Airforce Base Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Los Trujillos SANDIA MIXED WASTE LANDFILL Moriarity 1959-1988 Mountain View ABOVE ABQ’S AQUIFER Paradise Hills Placitas An unlined pit on Kirtland Airforce Rio Rancho Base contains barrels of nuclear weapon Sandia Pueblo waste as well as bags of radioactive Tijeras waste. Many different elements and Tome chemicals are in dangerous proximity to each other, yet plans are being made to cover the landfill. fb.com/Sunflowers-For-Change SUNFLOWERS FORCHANGE G ETI NVOLED West Kuletz, Valerie L. Mexico New War Masco, Joseph. Project P Hanson, AnnaC.2013. Z I NERF N CES www.cardnm.org CITIZENS FORALTERNATIVESTORADIOACTIVEDUMPING www.nuclearactive.org CONCERNED CITIZENSFORNUCLEARSAFETY www.dinenonukes.org DINE NONUKES rice, V.B. . NewYork: Routledge, 1998. . NewMexico:UNMPrintingPress, 2011. The Orphaned Land: New Mexico’s Environment Since the Manhattan Manhattan the Since Environment Mexico’s New Land: Orphaned The The Nuclear Borderlands: The Manhattan Project in Post-Cold Post-Cold in Project Manhattan . NewJersey: Princeton UniversityPress, 2006. The Borderlands: Nuclear The The Tainted Desert: Environmental Ruin in the American American the in Ruin Environmental Desert: Tainted The Water, Air, & Land: A Sacred Trust Sacred A Land: & Air, Water, . NewMexico. communities, geographical features, or nuclear conflict in New Mexico. Mexico. New in conflict nuclear of or list features, complete a means geographical no by and is zine communities, This villages, towns, communities. cities, unincorporated reservations, includes zine This

ZINE BY RACHEL ABEYTA | ART STUDIO & SUSTAINABILITY STUDENT