Cleanup Options for Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mines

Abstract

This article summarizes the current status of known contamination arising from abandoned uranium mines (AUMs) within the Navajo Nation and examines the options for addressing the elevated risks to health that AUM waste poses to the people of the Navajo Nation. More specifically, this article provides the following: An overview of past uranium mining conducted on the Navajo Nation, the current status of AUM waste within the Navajo Nation, and the human health risks associated with uranium exposure. A discussion of Navajo Fundamental Law, the Diné (the Navajo People) Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission, and the Navajo Nation Department of Justice's position regarding institutional controls and cleanup of AUMs. A summary of cleanup actions taken to date to address AUM waste and the lessons learned from such actions. Options for cleanup of AUM waste consistent with Diné Fundamental Law, the Diné Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The information summarized in this article was previously presented as an “Initial White Paper on Cleanup Options for Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mines,” prepared with participation from multiple stakeholders including the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA), the Navajo Nation Department of Justice (NNDOJ), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of electrospun polymer nanofiber mats for removal of uranium from aqueous systems

“…Within this region is 27,000 square miles of land with abundant uranium ore deposits owned by the Navajo Nation. 2 Tribes leased these lands between 1944 and 1986, during which four million tons of uranium 2 was mined from the ore deposits. Mining operations typically hired Navajo Nation workers who were tasked with extracting uranium from the surface (e.g., canyon walls and mesa tops) or from underground.…”

“…Mining operations typically hired Navajo Nation workers who were tasked with extracting uranium from the surface (e.g., canyon walls and mesa tops) or from underground. 2 High grade uranium ores (0.1-0.63 % U 3 O 8 ) 3 were removed from the mines to be processed later while low-grade uranium ore and nonradioactive host rock was either left in waste piles or dumped down the sides of mesas. 2 By the 1970s the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) discontinued purchasing uranium due to their ample reserves.…”

“…2 High grade uranium ores (0.1-0.63 % U 3 O 8 ) 3 were removed from the mines to be processed later while low-grade uranium ore and nonradioactive host rock was either left in waste piles or dumped down the sides of mesas. 2 By the 1970s the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) discontinued purchasing uranium due to their ample reserves. 2 The decline in uranium demand led to the abandonment of approximately 523 uranium mines (AUMs) within the area (Figure 1-1).…”

“…2 By the 1970s the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) discontinued purchasing uranium due to their ample reserves. 2 The decline in uranium demand led to the abandonment of approximately 523 uranium mines (AUMs) within the area (Figure 1-1). Surveys of these mines found that 78% exhibited radiation two times above background, while 50% of the mines were ten times above background.…”

“…Surveys of these mines found that 78% exhibited radiation two times above background, while 50% of the mines were ten times above background. 2 At present, these AUMs are considered a major source for ground and surface water contamination by uranium and other radionuclides. For those who live within the Navajo Nation, these waters can be a source of drinking water for human and livestock consumption and irrigation of crops.…”