OREGON — In a three-car caravan, we made our way through a dusty trail in a desolate corner of Oregon near the Nevada border. It’s a tough journey, filled with ruts and bumps, but we eventually made it to the rim of the McDermitt Caldera, the remnant of an ancient volcano. While the view of the valley below is spectacular, Mark Mukhija sees something more: a metal that will fuel a nation. Just under the surface of this expanse is minable uranium—an estimated 37 million pounds of it.
