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How to Get a Healthy Dose of Radiation
National Public Radio recently ran a story on Ukrainians who are, despite serious warnings from their government, resettling the Chernobyl site. Though scientists figure the areas surrounding the infamous nuclear plant won't be habitable for another 30,000 years, some people just can't stay away. Similarly, when the Trinity Site
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is opened to the public for two days per year, New Mexicans, and nucleophiles from all over, flock to the irradiated locale to witness the birthplace of the Nuclear Age. On July 16, 1945, the very first nuclear device, the fruit of the Manhattan Project, was detonated within the confines of what is now the White
Sands Missile Range. The explosion could be seen from Los Alamos to El Paso and was so hot, that acres of sand were turned to Trinitite, a green glassy substance that makes Geiger counters sing like canaries. Most of the Trinitite has been removed, but a trip to the Site will still expose the visitor to mildly heightened levels of radiation: about 1/2 to 1 millirem of radiation per hour. To put this in perspective, the average American adult is exposed to about 360 millirems per year from sources as disparate as food, sunbathing and even plane trips. A trip to the Trinity Site is delightfully freaky and provides a story the can be told to co-workers and friends well into summer.
Do it yourself:
On April 2, the Stallion Gate to the White Sands Missile Range will be open from 8 am until 2 pm. While there are no speakers or ceremonies at the event, there will be plenty of informative displays and you can tour the site freely, albeit under the strict supervision of Army personnel. To get to the Stallion Gate, take I-25 south past Socorro to San Antonio (exit 139). Then, take Highway 380 12 miles to the turn-off. Five miles later, you'll be at the gate and 17 miles after that, you'll arrive at the bone-chilling Trinity Site. For more information on the history of the site and the regulations of the open house, call the missile range Public Affairs Office at (505) 678-1134 or visit the official website at
and follow the Public Affairs link to the Trinity Site site.
