Boom to bust to boom again

Heather Clark of the Associated Press takes a look at the Route 66 town of Grants, N.M., which is undergoing a boom of economic activity again because of a rise in uranium prices.

With uranium prices approaching $100 a pound, it’s anticipated that Uranium Resources Inc. will create the nation’s largest uranium mill and draw 4,000 jobs. Other companies have exploration permits in the area.

Some residents are wary of uranium companies coming back into town. Many former mine workers are having trouble getting treatment for work-related illnesses. And the previous boom-to-bust cycle has made locals tentative about the current upsurge.

It’s a good story about a town that’s too dependent on one industry, but doesn’t know what else to do.

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