SALT LAKE CITY — A new documentary titled "928, The Threat Continues" shines a light on the enduring health implications faced by Utah residents and communities across the West due to atomic bomb tests.
Despite the cessation of nuclear tests, the film highlights that explosive testing activities today are still disturbing hazardous materials, triggering ongoing concerns about public health.
Co-Directors Steve Jarvis and Kate Fosselman, who speak passionately about their findings, emphasize that the remnants of past nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site continue to affect those living downwind.
The film's title, "928," refers to the number of atomic bombs detonated at the site, with much of the toxic fallout impacting communities in Utah and beyond.
As conventional explosives test practices disturb the earth, the research included in the documentary poses alarming evidence of the cancer-causing materials that remain.
"There are cancer clusters, dozens of people with the same type of cancer in small areas downwind," Jarvis stated, underscoring the serious repercussions of this contamination.
Fosselman and Jarvis conducted extensive research, much of which was found at the University of Utah’s downwinders archive. Their investigations revealed a troubling narrative, especially concerning underrepresented populations such as Native Americans, who often say they have been overlooked in the broader discussion surrounding nuclear fallout.
“We quickly became advocates. It was enraging what we discovered about our government,” Jarvis recounted. He and Fosselman have emerged from their research determined to inform the public about the injustices and health risks associated with these historical events.
The film will premiere Friday, January 10th, at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and includes a Q&A session.
It will also have a showing Saturday at the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City, allowing further dialogue on this pressing issue.
The filmmakers aim to raise awareness about the ongoing threats faced by downwinders and hope that their work will lead to greater accountability and support for those contending with the consequences of decades-old government actions. "I think we've got a good film. It's something that can help society," Jarvis concluded.
