JOURNAL ARTICLE

Atmospheric Atomic Testing in Nevada, Shot Harry, and the Agency of Nature.

  • Published In: Western Historical Quarterly, 2023, v. 54, n. 3. P. 222 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Rice, James 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on "Shot Harry," a 32-kiloton atmospheric nuclear test conducted in May 1953 at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), which resulted in the highest population exposure to radioactive fallout in the site’s history, particularly affecting St. George, Utah. It details the delayed and controversial timeline of fallout arrival and shelter-in-place warnings, highlighting allegations of an allegedly falsified Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) report that misrepresented the timing and effectiveness of protective measures. The article also examines the broader implications of Shot Harry for understanding the complex interplay between human agency, institutional accountability, and the unpredictable agency of nature, as well as the long-term health impacts on downwind communities, including elevated leukemia rates linked to radioactive exposure. Ultimately, Shot Harry exemplifies the challenges of managing nuclear fallout, the limits of modernist assumptions about controlling nature, and the socio-environmental consequences borne disproportionately by marginalized populations near the test site.

Additional Information

  • Source:Western Historical Quarterly. 2023/09, Vol. 54, Issue 3, p222
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Science
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0043-3810
  • DOI:10.1093/whq/whad081
  • Accession Number:168591077
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