With the promise of nuclear energy on the horizon, the demand for uranium is reviving a once-dormant industry. After a trip to a nearby uranium mine, it’s clear the region sees this development as a kind of deja vu. Residents are optimistic their prized industry can return. But can uranium mining be safer than it once was? Dedicated opponents upriver, and a decade of legal battles, may say otherwise.

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

In this episode:

George Glasier, President and CEO of Western Uranium & Vanadium

Mike Rutter, Chief Operating Officer for Western Uranium & Vanadium

Wendy Puderbaugh, Western Uranium & Vanadium

Steve Puderbaugh, Superintendent at Western Uranium & Vanadium

Bruce Norquist, General Manager of Mining Operations for Western Uranium & Vanadium

Jennifer Thurston, Executive Director for INFORM, the Information Network for Responsible Mining

Ann Maest, aqueous geochemist and scientist at Buka Environmental

Rodney Ewing, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Frank Stanton Professor in Nuclear Security, Professor of Geological Sciences, Co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Stanford University)

Sara Woods, physical scientist for the Department of Energy in Grand Junction, CO