Mounds of uranium ore sit outside the processing facility at the White Mesa Mill compound, considered the only conventional uranium mill in America. When the strong winds come, nearby residents fear the powdery ore moves with the wind.
Mill operators say an air monitoring system tracks any downwind emissions, but locals say the dust and tailings ponds emit radon, a leading case of lung cancer in the United States, and that the facility contributes to health problems.
Last week residents and activists marched, prayed and sang as part of the annual spiritual walk against the mill...