/ Modified aug 1, 2019 3:17 a.m.

Arizona Spotlight for August 1st, 2019

Looking back at a 1979 radioactive contamination in Tucson, and citizens working together; exploring the history of Harvey Houses in Arizona; and a couple finds common ground with "One Small Step".

tritium poisoning headline 3 view larger VIEW LARGER The Arizona Daily Star front page on Monday, June 11, 1979. Article by Jane Kay.
courtesy Arizona Daily Star

Arizona Spotlight

Arizona Spotlight for August 1st, 2019

NPR
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Featured on the August 1st, 2019 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:

  • In 1979, unsafe conditions at American Atomics, a Tucson factory that handled the isotope tritium, led to radioactive contamination of the surrounding neighborhood. Award-winning environmental reporter Jane Kay was then a recent hire at the Arizona Daily Star. She received an anonymous tip that led to the factory being closed and the tritium being removed. Mark talks with Jane Kay about how a newspaper, concerned citizens, anti-nuclear activists and state government worked together to end a threat to public health.

On Saturday, August 3rd 2019, the Tucson community is invited to "Tucson’s Anti-Nuke Success: 40 Years Ago This Summer, The American Atomics Story". It is a free event, featuring a Q&A with some of the people who were involved, followed by a “No Nukes” singalong led by original 1979 protester Ted Warmbrand. It starts at 2 pm at The Himmel Park Library, located at 1035 North Treat Avenue. More information is at 520-623-1688.

tritium poisoning headline 1 view larger VIEW LARGER The Arizona Daily Star headline for page 17 on Wednesday, June 6, 1979. Article by Jane Kay.
courtesy Arizona Daily Star
tritium poisoning headline 2 view larger VIEW LARGER The Arizona Daily Star page 1 headline on Wednesday, June 13, 1979. Article by Jane Kay.
courtesy Arizona Daily Star

harvey house winslow lunch room hero Harvey Girls at the lunch counter of the Harvey House in Winslow, Arizona circa 1910.
courtesy Arizona State Library

one small step van alsburgs hero Hilary and Michael Van Alsburg, photographed after making a recording for StoryCorp's "One Small Step" in the AZPM Radio Studio.

One Small Step Facebook OG

Arizona Spotlight
Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Saturday at 3:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.
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