ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Church Rock uranium mill spill

The Church Rock uranium mill spill happened in 1979 in the United States. It was an accident that caused a lot of bad things to happen to the environment. The uranium mill was a place where uranium was made. Uranium is a type of metal that is used in nuclear power plants.

On the day of the accident, the mill was overflowing with radioactive wastewater. The wastewater spilled out of the mill and went into a nearby river called the Puerco River. The spill was so big that the river was filled with radioactive waste! This caused a lot of problems for the environment and the people living near the river. Plants and animals in and around the river were poisoned by the radioactive waste, and people living close to the river were exposed to the radiation. Some people even got sick from drinking the water from the river.

The Church Rock uranium mill spill was one of the largest uranium spills in history and it had a huge impact on the environment. Clean up efforts are still ongoing to this day, and the area around the river still shows signs of the damage caused by the uranium mill spill.