This is among the photos in Kit Freedman’s exhibition that is on display through May
10 in Gallery 234 in the University of Wyoming Union. (Kit Freedman)
Kit Freedman’s “Contamination on Wind River: Perception, Science and the Riverton UMTRA Site” will be displayed through May 10 in the University of Wyoming Union Gallery 234. A reception is scheduled Monday, May 6, from 6-8 p.m.
The exhibition’s photographs were taken as part of Freedman’s joint master’s degree project in anthropology and environment natural resources “in researching the environmental and human health impacts surrounding the former mill site,” Freedman says.
The Riverton Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Site is a 170-acre site located 2.5 miles west of Riverton and within the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fremont County. The mill tailings and contaminated soils were removed from the site between 1988 and 1990, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report. However, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes continue to have concerns about groundwater and soil contamination on the site.
“The photographs are intended to supplement my written narrative by offering up evidence, raising awareness, and provoking reaction from the viewer in observing the ongoing impacts of historic uranium milling operations on the Wind River Reservation that, for too long now, have gone unnoticed,” Freedman says.
Additionally, the photographs give viewers an opportunity to observe the reality of life surrounding the mill, and to grasp the contrast between what is seen and not seen.
Individuals who need assistance to attend should call the Campus Activities Center at (307) 766-6340. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/cac.
