With the rise of nuclear power after World War II, uranium became a highly sought-after element. In many uranium mining towns, mining companies provided schools, hospitals, and other civic functionseven Miss Uranium beauty pageants. Uranium mining has left a toxic environmental and human legacy in Colorado. EPA Superfund cleanup sites dot the landscape and water of the uranium mining areas. Over a million people in Colorado live within five miles of a uranium mine and some towns reused radioactive tailings in construction sites and home gardens. As miners began dying of cancer in the 1950s, federal investigations revealed a connection between the toxic work environment and the epidemic, but the industry did not implement any strict regulations until the mid-1960s.