... further harm. Unfortunately, serious damage has already been inflicted. In the 1940's uranium mining supported the development of atomic weapons. Newton and Dillingham (2002) point out "the operations were exempt from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) oversight, Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) regulations, environmental laws, the Freedom of Information Act, and had no congressional oversight". Large quantities of contaminated materials were simply dumped into the environment. No thought was given to the consequences for future generations. One site near Moab, Utah contains 12 million tons of dirt, toxic chemicals, and other radioactive waste. This pile covers over 130 acres. The material sits on bare ground. Astoundingly, this radioactive material is located on the banks of the Colorado River! Waste material is seeping into the ground water. A major flood could wash the material into the river. This event would contaminate the water. The consequences of this natural event would be ...

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