Church Rock Uranium Mill, Mexico
From series “The Most Radioactive Zones on the Planet”
The old factory specializing in uranium enrichment is situated in the Church Rock, US. This plant became known after an accident, as a result of which several tons of a solid radioactive waste were thrown into the atmosphere. The water of the Puerco River was polluted and that greatly expanded the affected zone. The radiation level in the area of the accident is 7 000 times higher than normal. The recent large-scale studies of the river was held in 2003. They showed that the water is still polluted.
An accident at the factory in Church Rock took place in 1979. In the first day, the contamination spread to more than 100 km. The principal, who suffered from the accident, became the indigenous people - the Navajo tribe. For hundreds of years, they used the water from the river to irrigate the land and care for a livestock. Indians didn’t know about the danger of the pollution immediately. The terrible event hasn’t gained wide publicity. Only years later, contaminated river banks were declared a disaster area.
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Church Rock Uranium Mill - interactive map
Useful staff nearby
ATM bankomat: 'Bank of America ATM' located in 9 km (
check the route on the map).
Car rental office: 'V8s For Vocations' is located in 25 km (
on the map).
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