Local residents affected by nuclear testing sought for interviews

Staff from The J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah will interview individuals throughout Utah who have been affected by the nuclear weapons testing that occurred in the 1950s and 60s.
On Tuesday, May 21 from 1 to 6 p.m. they will be at the San Juan County Library in Blanding, located at 25 West 300 South. 
They will also be at the Grand County Library in Moab on Monday, May 20, and the Price City Library  on Wednesday, May 22.
Other locations in the state include St. George, Enterprise, Cedar City, Provo, Tooele, and Ogden.
Beginning in 1951, the era of nuclear weapons testing was a time of tremendous change at both national and local levels.
In the name of national security, a variety of nuclear weapons were tested in a remote area of the Nevada desert known as the Nevada Test Site.
Fallout and radiation from these tests have affected communities across the nation, in many cases resulting in the loss of property, health and life.
Representatives from the Marriott Library will visit public libraries throughout northern, southwestern, and southeastern Utah.
New interviews will be included in the Downwinders of Utah Archive, a free resource providing information on nuclear detonations, radioactive fallout, and events that resulted in devastating effects for Utah’s “Downwinder” population.
“The archive focuses on individuals, families, and geographic areas that were negatively affected,” explains Justin Sorensen, GIS Specialist at the Marriott Library and creator of the archive.
“Our hope is that the archive illustrates the events and impacts in greater detail, while educating future generations in the hope that the mistakes of the past will never occur again.”
Scheduling interviews isn’t necessary; just stop by the locations during the hours listed in this article.
If you have any questions, you are encouraged to contact Justin Sorensen at justin.sorensen@utah.edu.
For more information on the archive, events or the current compilation of oral history interviews, visit www.downwindersofutah.org.