In 1950, the United States had around 300 nuclear weapons in its arsenal. By 1965, that number had climbed to more than 31,000. Much of the uranium that fueled this arms race came from mines scattered across the American Southwest, only a tiny fraction of which have been cleaned up.

This photographic project aims to track them down, and illuminate the toxic legacy of nuclear weapons that surrounds us even today.

Photographers: 
Dave Carter
Reid Elem
Morgan Post
Nick Russell
Charles Witherspoon
Jo Yarrington

Expert Interviews: 
Sarah Fields, Uranium Watch
Tommy Rock, PhD