[editor's note, by navajo]A hopefully good news entry is at the bottom of my diary. We still need the other shoe to fall.
This is very alarming!
Arizona and Utah uranium mines were closed in and around the Navajo reservation in the late 1980s when uranium prices plunged. Uranium prices are now skyrocketing due to renewed interest in nuclear power.
Three Canadian companies are considering re-opening their mines in the Southwest.
More below the fold.
International Uranium Corp. of Vancouver, British Columbia, said Monday that it is considering reopening its Arizona 1 mine, located near the Utah border in northwestern Arizona.
It's one of 12 shut U.S. uranium mines that the company is considering starting up. But it is the one most likely to be reopened first, according to the company.
"Prices are now getting into a range where it's feasible for us to be in those mines," International Uranium Chief Executive Ron Hochstein said.
The Arizona 1 has proven reserves and could be operating within 18 months, Hochstein said.
International Uranium owns three mines in the state, all located in the Arizona Strip in northwestern Arizona. It also owns the White Mesa mill in Utah. The mill employs 100 people when operating.
The Arizona 1 mine is very close to where all of my relatives live. I have a cousin that died at a young age from cancer caused by working in one of the uranium mines on the Navajo reservation. Environmental health workers have been battling the disease aftermath for years.
"No one should be celebrating this," said Chris Shuey, an environmental health scientist with the Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque.
Shuey has spent more than 20 years helping the Navajo Nation cope with the impact of decades of uranium mining.
There are an estimated 1,300 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Reservation, which encompasses parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Only about half of those have been reclaimed and properly sealed.
"Many are in an uncontrolled state and chronic sources of toxic releases," Shuey said.
Shuey said there have been no comprehensive tests to determine the health impact of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation. He believes the impact is extensive and can be blamed for a relatively high rate of kidney disease on the reservation.
The Navajo Nation is struggling financially especially with potential lost funding from the on again off again Peabody Coal Mine near Black Mesa. Casinos are more of a possibility after the recent vote.
It is believed that many of these mines are currently contaminating the water of the Colorado River which provides water for lovely places like Southern California.
I don't see anything that is going to prevent these mines from starting back up because of the current administration.
This is not good.
This is horrible.
Update [2005-1-12 17:37:30 by navajo]:
I have sent this article to the following organizations:
Earth Justice
http://www.earthjustice.org/
eajus@earthjustice.org
Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.nrdc.org/
nrdcaction@nrdc.org
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
http://www.nirs.org/
A google of Chris Shuey plus navajo gave me some excellent followup sites to explore. I will update this diary again if I can provide any action sources.
Update [2005-1-12 19:7:15 by navajo]:
I found another good website on Plutonium Page's diary below. I have sent them an email also.
The Indigenous Environmental Network
http://www.ienearth.org/
Update [2005-1-14 11:38:42 by navajo]: this is good news. The Ethics and Rules Committee passed legislation unanimously on Jan. 7, 2005.
The legislation will ban conventional uranium mining, such as open pit and shaft mining, within the Navajo Nation’s jurisdiction and place a moratorium on uranium processing, such as solution or ISL mining. The historic legislation would be the first time ever that the Navajo Nation Council banned uranium mining due to public health concerns.
It is now in the hands of the Navajo Nation leaders when they convene for the Navajo Nation Council Winter Session, which begins January 24.
“The leaders of the Navajo Nation, in particular George Arthur, the sponsor of the legislation, should be congratulated for taking a stand against uranium mining and processing.” said Wynoma Foster of Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) “The threat to people from uranium mining is real and urgent. We are optimistic that our leaders will take us in the right direction and make the right decision based upon the issues at hand. We are looking to our leaders to take the responsibility in their actions and to take the full representation of not only their own communities but the whole Navajo Nation.”
The Navajo Nation has the sovereign right to take legislative action to protect its economic interests, natural resources and public health. Protection of natural resources based on the Fundamental and Traditional Laws of the Dine is vital to the Dine People.
“Water is life and we need to protect that for generations to come. Sustainable energy is where we need to go if we are going to talk about preserving our lives holistically. There are other ways to gain economically while we protect and preserve our resources,” said Foster.
Uranium mining has adversely impacted and affected the economic vitality, natural resources and public health of the Navajo Nation for more than 50 years, and the People are still suffering from those impacts today. New uranium mining and processing will not bring the economic development promised by the uranium companies. The pristine water resources of the Navajo Nation are worth substantially more than the uranium resources.
I will look for news after the 24th on the decision the Navajo Nation leaders make.