Raye Carleson Ringholz

I picked up Uranium Frenzyat the gift shop at Arches National Park last spring. The book is about the uranium mining rush of the 1950's, the atomic testing in Nevada and the impacts on the lives touched. A rather unusual book.

I am thankful my father was not a miner. I am thankful my parents did not scratch out a living in the nuclear West.

About two-thirds of the book reads like a mining adventure, with discovery, uranium stock boom and bust. The balance of the book is devoted to efforts to monitor and study the effects of radiation, pass responsibility to regulate and or inform the public and then dodge liability for the failures.

The author quotes Stewart Udall an attorney who sought to right wrongs. I can not help but wonder that when the Rambus Inc. litigation saga is over, if I will be equally disillusioned, having urged Ramboids to have faith in America's system of justice - slow, but true . . . .

Ten years of work resulted in failure . . . When . . .invited to a meeting, he (Udall) sent a representative. . . "I did not go because I was humiliated and sick at heart . . . I did not go because for many years, and on so many occasions, I had urged . . to be patient and have faith in their country's system of justice."… (mehr)