5 15 2011 Gallup Independent: ENDAUM Seeks Halt to Uranium Mining
2
E NDAUM se eks halt touranium rnlnlnq By Kat hy He lm s Dine W IN DO W R OC K- The New Mexic Environ- mental Law Center and its c li en t, E as te rn N av aj o D in e Agai ns t Uranium Mining, or ENDAUM, filed a peti- tion Friday with the Inter- Ame ric an Commission on Human Rights seeking to halt a uranium mining oper- , ation in Churchrock a nd Crownpoint. A news conference is scheduled for Monday m or ni ng a t t he Na ti on al Press Club in Washington. Af ter 16years oflegal fighting, the Ne w Mexico Envir onmental Law Center has exhaust ed a ll a ve nu es o ff er ed b y t he U .S . l eg al s ys - t em t o o ve rt ur n t he mi ni ng licens e granted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commis - s io n t o H yd ro R es ou rc es I nc . Should HRl be allowed to m in e, t he d ri nk in g w at er f or approximatel y 15,000 people will be contaminated, accord- ing to the law center. "T he HR lli ce nse ma rks the first time that any min- ing company in the U.S. has b ee n f ed er al ly a ut ho ri ze d to mine uranium in a commu- n it y d ri nk in g w at er a qu if er ," Eric Jantz, attorney for the law center stated in a news r el ea se . " Th is a qu if er p ro - vides the sole source of drinking water for the most- ly Navajo community mem- b er s r ep re se nt ed by ENDAUM. By granting t his license, the NRC has failed to uphold its mandate to protect the health and safety of all American s. ", On Friday, New Mexico Env ironment Depar tment's ' Ground Water Quality Bureau posted a notice that HRl plans to renew the dis- charge permit for its Sect ion 8 propef!Y ~ ~c~n~ey --~-=- ' ~ ~ ~ - = ~ - - ~ county t o , the injectror; ana circulatio!,! p f as much as 4,00~ gallons per minute of " li xi vi an t" ass oc ia te d wi th the process of in-situ l eac h m in in g o f u ra ni um. Li xivi ant , which t ypical- ly contains an oxidant such as oxygen and/or hydrogen peroxide mixed with sodi- um carbonate or carbon d io xi ~e , i s i nj ec te d t hr ou gh wells into the ore body in a c on fi ne d a qu if er t o d is so lv e the urani um. This solution is then pumped via other wel1~to the surface for pro- cessmg, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. HRl plans to us i nj ec ti on and extraction wells to recov- e r u ra ni um f ro m t he W es tw a- t er C an yo n a qu if er a t d ep th s from 600 to 1,200 feet. Potential contaminants incl ude chlo ride , radium-226 se leni um, sulfate, total dis - ' solved solids and uranium. T he N ME D p ost in g k ic ks o ff a 30-d ay p er io d f or t he p ub li c t o r eq ue st a h ea ri ng . H RI h as s~t~d i~ objective is to begin ~g in Churchrock by InId-2013 and the communi- t y h as f ew o pt io ns l ef t. The peti ti on seeks reme- d ie s f or t he v io la ti on o f Na va , j o h um an r ig ht s a nd a sk s t ha t the Commission recommend to the United States to sus - pend HRI's material s license until such time as HRI has cle ane d up the radio act ive surface contamination on Churchrock's Section 17. Information: http: //www.nmenv,state,nm, us/gwbINMED-GWQB-Pub_ l ie N o t ice. ht m . " C D ; J c : : ~ ~ ~ ;!! ,... . C D 0 ,... . tJ ~ ~ May 14-15,2011 Nu mb e r 144 V o lu me 1 23
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Transcript of 5 15 2011 Gallup Independent: ENDAUM Seeks Halt to Uranium Mining
8/6/2019 5 15 2011 Gallup Independent: ENDAUM Seeks Halt to Uranium Mining
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ENDAUM
seeks halt
touranium
rnlnlnqBy Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK-
The New Mexico Environ-
mental Law Center and its
client, Eastern Navajo Dine
Against Uranium Mining,
or ENDAUM, filed a peti-
tion Friday with the Inter-
American Commission on
Human Rights seeking to
halt a uranium mining oper-
, ation in Churchrock and
Crownpoint.
A news conference isscheduled for Monday
morning at the National
Press Club in Washington.
After 16years oflegal
fighting, the New Mexico
Environmental Law Center
has exhausted all avenues
offered by the U.S. legal sys-
tem to overturn the mining
license granted by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commis-
sion to Hydro Resources Inc.
Should HRl be allowed tomine, the drinking water for
approximately 15,000 peoplewill be contaminated, accord-
ing to the law center.
"The HRllicense marks
the first time that any min-ing company in the U.S. has
been federally authorized to
mine uranium in a commu-
nity drinking water aquifer,"
Eric Jantz, attorney for the
law center stated in a news
release. "This aquifer pro-
vides the sole source of
drinking water for the most-
ly Navajo community mem-bers represented byENDAUM. By granting this
license, the NRC has failed
to uphold its mandate to
protect the health and safety
of all Americans.",
On Friday, New MexicoEnvironment Department's '
Ground Water Quality
Bureau posted a notice that
HRl plans to renew the dis-
charge permit for its Section
8 propef!Y ~ ~c~n~ey-=- '~~~-=~--~
county t o , the injectror; anacirculatio!,! p f as much as4,00~ gallons per minute of
"lixiviant" associated with
the process of in-situ leachmining of uranium.
Lixiviant, which typical-ly contains an oxidant such
as oxygen and/or hydrogen
peroxide mixed with sodi-
um carbonate or carbon
dioxi~e, is injected through
wells into the ore body in a
confined aquifer to dissolve
the uranium. This solution
is then pumped via other
wel1~to the surface for pro-cessmg, according to the
U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission.
HRl plans to use injection
and extraction wells to recov-
er uranium from the Westwa-
ter Canyon aquifer at depthsfrom 600 to 1,200 feet.Potential contaminants
include chloride, radium-226selenium, sulfate, total dis- '
solved solids and uranium.
The NMED posting kicks off
a 30-day period for the publicto request a hearing. HRI has
s~t~d i~ objective is to begin
~g in Churchrock byInId-2013, and the communi-
ty has few options left.
The petition seeks reme-
dies for the violation of Nava,
jo human rights and asks that
the Commission recommend
to the United States to sus-
pend HRI's materials licenseuntil such time as HRI has
cleaned up the radioactivesurface contamination on
Churchrock's Section 17.
Information:
http://www.nmenv,state,nm,
us/gwbINMED-GWQB-Pub_lieN otice. htm
'. "C D
;Jc : :
~
~
~
;!!, . . . .
C D 0, . . . .
tJ
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WeekendMay 14-15,2011
Number 1 44 Vo lume 123
