Bennington Banner in Bennington, Vermont

AEC reports Nevada tests harm minor surface but block underground use

The Atomic Energy Commission says nineteen years of underground and above ground nuclear tests have left parts of the Nevada test site unfit for public use for the foreseeable future, though surface environments should remain largely undisturbed. It cites minimal terrestrial ecological impact from past tests, while noting radioactive pockets beneath the surface and some surface contamination limit access.