But people knew nothing of what it was, and they didn’t know anything about what it was for years. It’s hard to imagine, because if an event like that took place today, literally in your backyard or in close proximity to where you live, we would know within minutes what just took place. Another common thread about the history that has been told to me is that their mothers, thinking that it was the end of the world, got on their knees and started praying the rosary. The detonation was an enormous event, and what made it so unique is that it was a top-secret project, so there was no warning given to anybody before or after.Īs to what took place, one of the most common things that the people that I’ve spoken to told me is that they thought it was the end of the world. The blast produced more light and more heat than the sun. The bomb that was developed and tested was a plutonium – based bomb that was detonated at about 5:29 a. Ane González Lara, Diverse Peoples, Arid Landscapes, and the Built Environment report editor In this interview, Tina Cordova, the group’s cofounder, discusses the effect that this explosion had on the species, land, and inhabitants of the area and describes the work that TBDC has been doing over the last two decades to raise awareness and provide support for those affected. According to TBDC’s research, the explosion caused rare forms of cancer for many of the 30,000 people living in the area. Groups like the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium (TBDC) are working towards the passage of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments, which would bring healthcare coverage and compensation to the New Mexicans whose health has suffered from the effects of the explosion. In 1975, it was designated a National Historic Landmark today, the site allows visitors access twice a year. The detonation site remained closed off until 1953 due to its high radioactivity. To avoid instigating panic, the government chose not to evacuate nearby towns. While the bright light emanating from the explosion could be seen all the way to Albuquerque, 130 miles away, the test remained highly classified, and therefore a secret to the public-and to many of the 130,000 scientists and engineers who worked on it. The site, today located at White Sands National Park in Socorro County, was selected due to its remote location and weather conditions. on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated over what is now known as the Trinity Site, creating a shock wave that radiated 160 miles outward.
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