As nuclear waste piles up around the country, many communities are saying ‘no’ to taking it. In a rural corner of Colorado, however, some see the prospect of storing this spent fuel as an opportunity.

As northwest Colorado loses coal jobs and dollars, a small group is raising the possibility of nuclear waste storage as a replacement. Community leaders in coal country have mixed feelings about the idea.

Cañon City in southern Colorado is still dealing with the fallout of radioactive contamination from decades ago. A nuclear waste watchdog group wants communities that are considering partnering with the government on future waste storage plans to have the full picture of the energy cycle and its history.