Approach & Methodology

Work with Frontline Community Members 

To begin this mapping project, we conducted a series of individual and group meetings with impacted community members, as well as with grassroots nonprofits that have worked closely with impacted communities for years. Our goal was to understand:

• • If a map of nuclear weapons sites in the United States was a resource that they would appreciate and find useful
  • How they might use such a map once it was created
  • What information and features would be most helpful and important for us to include 

We also created a survey to help us answer these questions, and compensated individuals and groups for taking the time to fill it out. This was the initial information that guided our data collection and map design. In this early iteration, we have not been able to include all of the features that impacted community members recommended, but we have built the map with both the capacity for and intention of adding these features in future iterations. For example, we hope to one day include additional information about health studies and radionuclides of concern at nuclear sites across the country. 

Our next step was to create a mock-up for a map and supporting website. We then took this back to the same group of impacted community members to get their feedback, which was incorporated into our final design and development process. 

Throughout the map and website, we have integrated impacted community member stories to highlight the experiences of real people in relation to these sites. We believe that putting a human face on these sites is crucial to understanding the nature of the nuclear weapons complex and its impact. In cases where these stories were not already widely publicly available (e.g., published by a news outlet), we have contacted the individuals or organizations involved to obtain their written permission and offered compensation for the use of their stories. Going forward, we hope to solicit and publish additional stories, and we will continue to offer the same compensation to new individuals/groups as long as our funding allows.      

Data and Content Use

Since one of our goals is increased transparency and accessibility for this information, all of the content and data on this website, including all of the map sites, are available to be publicly downloaded and used. However, all contents are under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)  license, meaning that if the content is reused, it must be attributed to the owner, and that the content may not be used for commercial purposes. If any data has more specific usage rights it will be specified clearly. Owner information for personal stories can be found on the individual story pages.

We feel strongly that no one should profit off of community stories and experiences without the express permission of those communities and individuals. So while UCS and partner organizations may use the map content for fundraising purposes, largely for the ongoing maintenance and improvement of the map and website, this intention has always been made clear to those who have contributed their stories. 

Data and Content Collection and Improvement

Our data was collected through a combination of publicly available, unclassified sources (e.g., government websites and databases, media, other maps/resources), partners and personal connections, and specific requests to government agencies. We recognize that the collection of sites found here is not exhaustive, and we welcome information about missing sites, additional information about existing sites, and corrections to any of the content on this website. In general, information about specific sites was last researched and updated August 2025. Some sites may draw from sources that are current as-of a different date, which will be noted when possible. 

This map is designed to be a tool to visualize nuclear impacts across the country; not as a way to understand these issues from a scientific or technical perspective, or to diagnose or assess anyone’s personal risk of illness. We have provided studies and assessments of health implications where applicable, but have generally avoided interpreting or editorializing about these studies.

We have mapped sites to the best of our ability; however, there are some discrepancies in the data. For example, some operational dates in government records for certain sites contradict each other. We have included all dates and which agency claims them in this case. Additionally, coordinates for sites we found may not match up with the exact towns or city limits that are listed for the sites on government websites. For consistency, we opted to list the town or city that best matched the coordinates we had, even if that differs from the one listed on a government agency website. (They are often not more than a town over).

You will also see some sites listed as “approximate locations.” This is because we were unable to locate precise coordinates, so we used the available data to discern an approximate location to be able to display it on the map.

Some locations are historical and the original buildings/plots may not exist today, or may serve another purpose.

Some government resources that we originally used as key indicators and sources throughout the website have been taken down, and we have been unable to track down their information in other locations. We have decided to leave them in the sources section in case they are one day repopulated, as well as to show our own research process.

Some locations reference eligibility for workers “through the present day.” We strive to keep this website as up to date as possible. The last update on the website was made in April of 2026; therefore “present day” can be taken as then.

This project looks at sites connected specifically to nuclear weapons. There are many more sites across the US that are also connected to nuclear energy production that are not included here. However, some sites, such as uranium mines or nuclear reactors, may have been used for both weapons and energy. Those can be found on the map.

We are dedicated to constantly learning and improving our processes. We hope that this map can be an iterative, evolving tool for these communities, decision makers, and the general public. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions for how we can better carry out this mapping project, we encourage you to get in touch.