The Legacy of Uranium Mining Lingers on Tribal Lands

Driving north along the highway out of Church Rock, New Mexico, an observant motorist might notice dozens of striped markers dotting the small river valley to the east. Upon closer examination, one can spot the remnants of a mining operation, ringed by cautionary signs. According to a July 1979 report by the U.S. Department of Energy, a leeching pond burst at the United Nuclear mining operation, sending radioactive waste down river towards the city of Gallup. Approximately 352,000 cubic meters (460,500 cubic yards) of tailings and pond water were released into the Rio Puerco during the accident.₁

Remnants of a leeching pond owned by United Nuclear Corporation near Highway 566, north of Church Rock, NM.

The waste traveled over twenty miles downstream. Cost for decommissioning the area as a uranium mine is estimated at $3.7 million.₂ United Nuclear’s operation was one of many locations where uranium ore was mined and processed across the Navajo Nation. For their unknowing lead role in the Cold War, residents have inherited three decades of ecological devastation.

Mining in the region, termed Dinétah by its residents, goes back as far as the late 19th century. But following the World War II manufacturing boom, mining companies began to remove large amounts of vanadium, an element (23 on the periodic table) used as an additive to strengthen steel. And it was during this time that speculators discovered vast deposits of uranium ore, which was then called “pitch-blend.” Uranium ore was so ubiquitous in the region that it was often discovered lying at surface level. While uranium’s radioactive properties had been well documented by chemist Ernest Rutherford as early as 1898, the substance gained new celebrity—and fetched higher prices—as physicists from the Manhattan Project raced to complete the first atomic weapon. Scientists realized that thanks to its unstable molecular structure, uranium could be used to generate huge amounts of energy, particularly in the form of an atomic bomb.

After its use at Hiroshima, the Atomic Energy Commission was created to promote and regulate nuclear weapons and the nascent nuclear power industry. A complete opening of tribal lands to mining was written into the commission’s founding legislation and the Agency would later preside over projects gravely impacting the health of many Navajos. Open-pit mines and underground operations would continue to sprout up across the Dinétah late into the 1980s.

A milling operation in Crown Point, NM. The site, owned by Hydo-Resources, Inc., recently petitioned new mining claims in the area.

Navajo men, enlisted to work the mines, were often taking on their first waged jobs. Albert Lee, a resident of Shiprock, New Mexico, recounted to me his experience as a miner in southern Colorado during the early 1960s. He described how workers would often drink the cool water emerging through the cave’s walls. Safety protocol was never established and the men were not warned of the ore’s radioactive properties. Lee is one of many Navajos who developed lung cancer as a result of his exposure to uranium. His son, Robin, expressed frustration that although his father had received financial support for his medical expenses, it was not enough to support him. Qualifying workers from the industry may receive up to $150,000, but the bureaucratic process often excludes those incapable of providing substantial documentation.

The Lee family at their home in Shiprock, NM. Albert Lee, pictured middle, worked as a uranium miner in Naturita and Uravan, Colorado.

Like many Navajos, Robin feels that such an injustice would never befall non-native people.

The family is frustrated that they were never told what the uranium would be used for. And today they are continuously reminded of the contaminating element’s persistence, living on land bordering an enormous disposal site for hazardous materials left over from uranium processing.

The multi-million dollar complexes were designed to consolidate radioactive byproducts of uranium ore processing. Four such sites exist across the Navajo Nation containing tailings discarded after uranium was removed.

Mexican Hat Disposal Site is the largest facility on the Navajo Nation. It contains 3.6 million cubic yards of radioactive waste. Sulfuric acid was also manufactured here from 1957 to 1970.

Following the 1978 passage of the federal Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Department of Energy money was designated for the containment of waste materials and abandoned mines reclamation. Many of the disposal sites were once mills; the unchecked disposal of chemicals in those areas also led to a massive contamination of ground water. Projections at The Tuba City Disposal Site estimate contamination at 1.5 to 3 billion gallons.

At Tuba City Disposal Site groundwater is treated for contaminants. While the site functioned as a mill, over 800,000 tons of uranium ore were processed.

While the sites don’t provide a long-term solution to nuclear waste, they prevent materials from eroding back into the environment. Disposal sites also operate water treatment facilities, filtering out contaminates, and reintroducing clean water into the aquifer.

Houses abandoned due to extreme radiation levels near the Tuba City Disposal Site.

Acting tribal president Joe Shirely Jr. officially banned mining in 2005. While the extent of uranium mining’s impact on the Dinétah is now well documented, much work remains to prevent further contamination. Many Navajos still rely on natural springs and wells for drinking water, making them even more vulnerable to contaminants. The tribe recently petitioned the federal government for $500 million to continue clean up efforts. Back in Church Rock at the site of United Nuclear Corporation’s tailings spill, the work is ongoing. Stewardship of the location is expected to change hands in 2015 when the Department of Energy is slated to take over. The EPA claims that emergency efforts are under way and have declared the area a Superfund Site.₃

Today, a revanchist nuclear industry is trying to win political support to build a new generation of power plants. But Shirley is adamant in opposing future mining. As he recently told The Nation, “I don’t believe there is any safe technology that can be used to mine uranium. Many of my people died because of mining uranium ore here on Navajo land.”

1 “Long-Term Stewardship Site Highlights.” U.S. Department of Energy. 23 Jun. 2005<http://www.lm.doe.gov/documents/3_pro_doc/lts_study/pdf/new%20mexico.pdf

2 Buckley, J. . “Status of the Decommissioning Program: 2006 Annual Report.“ Feb. 2007. U.S. NuclearRegulatory Committee. NUREG-1814, Rev.1 <http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/nuregs/staff/sr1814/r1/sr1814r1.pdf

3 “Northeast Church Rock Mine Site.“ Region 9 Superfund: # NNN000906132. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sept. 21, 2007
<http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/r9sfdocw.nsf/ce6c60ee7382a473882571af007af70d/9beb6aeaf2fa058a88257353002bf7d6!OpenDocument

Dominic Miller is a visual artist working out Brooklyn and Phoenix. He traveled throughout the Navajo Nation in 2008.