U.S. E.P.A. settlements require investigation of uranium

SAN FRANCISCO - This week the E.P.A. entered into 2 enforcement actions, both of which will contribute towards cleaning up uranium contamination at the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation.

In one settlement, Rio Algom Mining LLC, a subsidiary of Canadian corporation BHP Billiton, has agreed to control delivers of radium (a decay product of uranium) from the Quivira Mine Site, near Gallup, N.M. In addition, the company is to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the levels of contamination at the site. The total cost for this work is estimated to be approximately $1 million.

Under the terms of a separate settlement, the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), will begin a comprehensive investigation of the levels of uranium and other contaminants in the waste, soils and groundwater at the Tuba City Dump Location in Arizona. They will also evaluate the feasibility of a range of cleanup actions.

"Uranium mining has left a toxic legacy, and we are working as partners with the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and other federal agencies to clean up contaminated homes, mines and water supplies," said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "These actions are just one part of a coordinated project that has already resulted in the replacement of 14 homes, the assessment of in excess of 200 mines, and backing for water systems that will serve over 3,000 people with clean water."

"The Navajo Nation is appreciative of the work done by U.S. E.P.A. Region nine on this matter," said Stephen Etsitty, Executive Director of the Navajo Nation E.P.A.. "We especially value the legal work done by the Region nine Office of Regional Counsel in consultation with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, and we consider this a good 1st step in making Rio Algom accept responsibility for its past mining practices."

From 1944 to 1986, nearly 4 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands. Today the mines are closed, but a legacy of uranium contamination from in excess of 500 abandoned uranium mines, homes built with contaminated mine waste, and contaminated water wells remains. In January 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directed 5 federal agencies - the E.P.A., Bureau of Indian Affairs, D.O.E., Indian Health Services, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission - to work together to address this problem. E.P.A. Pacific Southwest Region took the lead in developing a collaborative five-year project to address contaminated homes, wells, mine sites, mills, and dumps.

Potential health effects from abandoned uranium mines include lung cancer from inhalation of radioactive particles, as well as bone cancer and impaired kidney function from exposure to radionuclides in drinking water.

Rio Algom will pave a portion of Red Water Pond Road close to the Quivira Site, minimizing the spread of low-level contaminated dust. The company will also minimize erosion from the site, and repair fencing to prevent human and animal exposure to a large waste pile. Rio Algom has agreed to reimburse the E.P.A. for oversight costs associated with the work. The Navajo Nation E.P.A. will work with E.P.A. in overseeing the work and reviewing the results of the investigation.

The Tuba City Dump Location is located near Tuba City, Arizona, about 4 miles from a former uranium mill. It covers approximately 30 acres and includes parts of both the Hopi Reservation and Navajo Nation. In 1998, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) undertook various activities to close the Site, including stabilization, fencing and posting of signs to restrict access. Under the arrangement reached this week, BIA will complete assessment of the Location and will evaluate cleanup options for soil, groundwater, and waste. To date, BIA has spent over $4.5 million to investigate and address environmental conditions at the Location and estimates it will spend an additional approximately $1.5 million to complete the remedial investigation and feasibility study.

On September 14-16, E.P.A. will be conducting a Uranium Contamination Stakeholders Workshop in Tuba City, Arizona. This free workshop is an opportunity to collaborate with co-implementers and stakeholders of the multi-agency Five-Year Project to find practical and effective solutions to uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation. For a full agenda and information on registering, please contact [email protected].

For more information, please go to: www.epa.gov/region9/necr or http://bit.ly/8YgNoO

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