Midnite Mine, Spokane, WA 1955-1981

The Midnite Mine, a uranium mine on the Spokane Indian Reservation, produced 2.9 million tons of uranium ore between 1955 and 1981. All production from the mine was from open pits: two pits are still open and fill with rainwater and groundwater, and the other four pits have been back-filled with soil from the area. The mine is now an EPA Superfund site because it has elevated levels of toxic heavy metals and radionuclides that negatively impact the surrounding environment and communities. The roots of plants growing around the mine had radioactive uranium levels as much as 11 times higher than plants from elsewhere in the area. Fish in nearby Lake Roosevelt have been found to contain heavy metals, which many link to the mine.