Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project

1. Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project PROJECT RESULTS, 2003-2004 Report to the Navajo Nation Council Resources Committee Church Rock Chapter House October 14, 2004 Community Involvement Environmental Health Monitoring Uranium Mining Impacts

2. Presentation Outline • CRUMP Goals, Collaborators • Church Rock uranium history • Radiation monitoring program • Gamma radiation surveys • Indoor radon monitoring • Air particulate monitoring • Water quality results • Threat of new uranium mining • Recommendations Head frame, waste piles at uranium mine in early 1960s

3. CRUMP Goals, Collaborators • Assess contaminants in water, air and land in residential areas near abandoned uranium mines • Establish human exposures for future health studies • Educate, involve community members • Supported by private grants, in-kind contributions • Collaborators: • Church Rock Chapter • Diné College UEP • Navajo AML, NNEPA, NNDWR • NM Environment Department • Southwest Research & Information Center • TAMS Center, UNM/CEHP, USEPA Las Vegas Lab

4. CR Uranium Mining History:50 years of impacts • Uranium mining occurred early-50s through mid-80s (map, top right) • 16 abandoned mines, 1 closed uranium mill that’s a federal Superfund site (photo, bottom right) • Little environmental monitoring in last 20 years • No health studies ever conducted in community Grants Mineral Belt uranium mines,deposits United Nuclear Corp. uranium mill tailings impoundment (left), Pipeline Arroyo in middle

5. CR Uranium Mining History (cont’d)UNC Tailings Dam Failure, 7/16/79 Spill deposited yellow salts on Puerco R. bank 20+ miles downstream near Manuelito; warning signs posted along river; local Navajos said, “Our animals can’t read!” Dam breach: 75 ft. high, 35 ft. wide Livestock tracks in Puerco River 3 days after spill

6. Radiation Monitoring Program • Measure gamma radiation along roads, near homes in former mining areas • Measure radon — an colorless, odorless radioactive gas — in homes near mining areas • Understand natural radiation sources: sun, elevation above sea level, soils, rocks • Study Area A — Pipeline, Water Pond roads • Study Area B — Old Churchrock Mine area • Study Area C — Springstead Estates site

7. Nahodishgish, Standing Rock Chapters Coyote Canyon Chapter Study Area A Church Rock Chapter Study Area B Pinedale Chapter Study Area C Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project, 2003-2004 Chapter House

8. Gamma Radiation Monitoring • Roads, housing areas near abandoned uranium mining and milling sites prioritized • Surface gamma radiation measured with hand-held instruments, USEPA “Scanner Van”, October 2003 • 20+ people from Church Rock Chapter, Navajo Nation, SRIC, TAMS Center, USEPA participated • Data compiled, analyzed, mapped Carl Holiday, Perry Charley and Edith Hood (background) conduct gamma radiation monitoring

9. Gamma Radiation Monitoring (cont’d)Instrumentation Hand-held Ludlum-19 detectors (above) loaned by NNEPA Superfund. USEPA Las Vegas Lab loaned CRUMP its gamma radiation “Scanner Van” and two technicians for 3+ days. Sodium iodide (NaI) detectors (above right, in cylinder) measure radiation levels within 200’ of van (top middle). On-board computers record and map radiation levels as the van travels at 5 mph. Use of van valued at >$15,000.

10. Gamma Radiation Monitoring (cont’d)“Hot Spots” Identified • Both sides of Hwy 566 from Old Church Rock Mine north past UNC tailings pile • Both sides Pipeline Road through tailings area • Water Pond Road past UNC, Kerr McGee mines • Arroyo downstream of UNC Northeast Church Rock Mine CRUMP technicians discuss radiation levels at base of UNC Northeast Church Rock Mine waste dump

11. Gamma Radiation Monitoring (cont’d)Water Pond Road Area Uranium mine waste dump • 6 Navajo homes are located <1,200 feet from an unreclaimed uranium mine abutting the Navajo Reservation boundary in Church Rock and Coyote Canyon chapters • CRUMP studies detected gamma radiation levels 5x to 10x greater than background in sands in arroyo in middle of photos; local kids played in this sand

12. Uranium mine wastes at abandoned UNC Northeast Church Rock Mine Approximate Navajo Researvation boundary Gamma radiation levels at the base of this mine-waste pile ranged up to 20 times background at the Reservation line.

13. Mine site Water Pond Road Map of Gamma Radiation Levels In the Water Pond Road area, 16 Navajo residences are sandwiched between two large abandoned uranium mines; gamma radiation levels >2x background shown by red dots and lines; map prepared by NNEPA Superfund staff using radiation data from hand-held instruments and Scanner Van. Navajo Reservation boundary Hwy. 566 Mine site Map by J. Begay, NNEPA/Superfund

14. Gamma Radiation Monitoring (cont’d)Springstead Estates Area • Scanner van, hand-held meter surveys limited to roads, arroyo through Springstead property • Majority of radiation levels within background • small piles of red-pink stones had slightly elevated gamma levels • More extensive studies needed before 900-unit housing complex is built Springstead was site of mobile home park for miners in 1960s-early 1980s

15. Indoor Radon Monitoring • 7-day radon canisters placed in 139 homes in Feb.-March ’04 • 34 homes had radon levels greater than the USEPA “action level” of 4 pCi/l-air* • Homes with high Rn in 1st test: • Uphill Road • Lime Ridge Road • Happy Valley • Old Churchrock Mine Road • Red Top Road, Becenti Trail CRUMP Radon Team: Gerald Brown, Vivian Craig, Alta Yazzie, John Plummer *8-hr exposure = smoking 1-2 packs cigarettes per day

16. Indoor Radon Monitoring (cont’d) • Re-tests done in June-July • 3 Lime Ridge homes > 4pCi/l • Happy Valley homes tests invalid; new tests needed • Gamma radiation surveys did not reveal contaminated building materials • High Rn levels may be from rocks, abandoned mines • Mitigation measures will be researched, recommended John Plummer, NNEPA Radon Program, shows Pipeline Road resident Alta Yazzie the charcoal inside a radon canister

17. Air Particulate Monitoring • Tiny dust particles in the air • Dust irritates lungs, makes breathing problems worse • Dust may be contaminated with radioactive elements • People living near uranium mine wastes more likely to be exposed

18. Air Particulate Monitoring (cont’d) • Two monitoring sites selected near abandoned mines • Pipeline Road • Water Pond Road • Using continuous, high-volume air samplers loaned by Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center • Electric connections to 2 residences paid by CRUMP Annabelle Allison, TAMS Center, explains air sampler

19. Air Particulate Monitoring (cont’d)Installation of Samplers The Boss The Crews • Each platform was built by CRUMP and CR Chapter staff • Outer security fence protects sampler • Electric lines buried, connected to nearby homes

20. Air Particulate Monitoring (cont’d)Operations, Expected Results • 1 year of air quality data • USEPA-LV lab to test filters for particulates • Results compared with federal Clean Air Act maximum dust limits • USEPA-LV lab will test radiation levels on about 10% of samples • Exposures to people calculated This is a typical two-sampler array; single samplers will be installed on CRUMP platforms

21. Water Quality Survey • Field reconnaissance of water sources in Church Rock area, July-August 2003 • Water assessment team sampled 13 “unregulated” water sources in August, October 2003 • Water sources that are not regularly tested or treated • Water tested at USEPA, NTUA, NMSLD labs for: • radionuclides, heavy metals, general chemistry CRUMP water team members collect samplers from a developed spring in Pinedale Chapter

22. Water Sources, Uses • Unregulated water sources: hand pumps, springs, windmills • Uses: human drinking water, domestic uses, livestock water, irrigation

23. Water Quality Results • 2 wells exceeded drinking U.S., Navajo drinking water standards for U, Ra • NNEPA recommends closure of these wells • ALL but 1 well had salty, hard water unsuitable for human consumption • Wells not tested for bacteria • high cost of hauling water Public water supply source at Crownpoint Chapter House

24. 4 uranium in situ leach mines proposed, 2 in Church Rock, 2 in Crownpoint Would contaminate portions of Westwater Canyon Aquifer, the principal source of high-quality drinking water in the Eastern Agency Processing plants would be built in Church Rock, Crownpoint Threat of New Uranium Mining

25. Threat of New Mining (cont’d)Navajo communities say “Łeetso Dooda” • Communities oppose new uranium mining • Church Rock Chapter: resolutions in June 2000, July 2003 • New mining is environmental injustice • Church Rock Chapter supports ENDAUM • Compensation, cleanup, health studies needed

26. Recommendations • Reclamation of UNC NECR Mine should include off-site contamination • Residents, Chapters, Navajo Nation need involvement in state-ordered reclamation plan • More extensive gamma surveys needed along Hwy. 566 and north of UNC tailings dump on TNN land • Long-term radon monitoring needed in some homes; re-tests of some homes fall-winter 2004 • Navajo Nation should inform, involve Church Rock Chapter in environmental studies at Springstead • Navajo Nation should oppose new uranium mining