Trekking Along the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail

If the idea of standing on top of a mammoth pile of nuclear waste sounds appealing, then Weldon, Missouri, is the place for you.

The waste lies beneath a structure that resembles an enormous ancient burial tomb. There’s even a platform at the top of the 7-story-high mound where visitors can take in the view.

The American government refers to the area as the Weldon Spring site, but it’s also known as the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum. The largest explosives factory in the United States once stood in its place. By 1956, the property was occupied by 44 buildings that refined uranium for nuclear bombs. The plant was abandoned in the 1960s and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed up 20 years later to conduct the clean-up.

The EPA found 1.48 million cubic yards of toxic waste, including radiologically and chemically contaminated structural materials, sludge, and soils. Environmental contaminants included uranium, radium, TNT and heavy metals. Instead of hauling it all away, the U.S. government decided to entomb the contaminated waste right there.

The area surrounding the containment bowl is also popular with cyclists and hikers, and it’s not unusual to see local residents walking their dogs in the area.

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