Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
10/3/2014
Assessing contaminated sites within the Navajo Nation and focusing on the cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock Mine Site and Tuba City Dump topped the priority list for the Environmental Protection Agency and four other federal agencies in their second five year plan to address the uranium contamination within the Navajo Nation, released this week. Government agencies have increased their overall efforts to address uranium mine contamination on the Navajo Reservation, but more still needs to be done, a Government Accountability Office report said earlier this year. This five year plan attempts to better define the work needed to be completed along with clearer roles for each involved federal agency. “While the last five years represent a significant start in addressing the legacy of uranium mining, much work remains and the same federal agencies have collaborated to issue a second Five-Year Plan,” the plan said. “The purpose of the second Five-Year Plan is to build on the work of the first plan, make adjustments based on information gained during this period, and plan the next steps in addressing the most significant risks to human health and the environment.”
The plan includes seven priority areas for completion: Assessment and cleanup of contaminated structures; assessment of contaminated water sources and provision of alternative water supplies; assessment of AUM sites with detailed assessments of those most likely to pose environmental or health problems; cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock Mine Site and additional high priority AUM sites; cleanup of the Tuba City Dump; protection of human health and the environment at former uranium processing sites; and health studies. The federal agencies involved in the cleanup include the EPA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, the Indian Health Service, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in consultation with the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation earlier this year received approximately $1 billion in a settlement that will aid in the cleanup of 50 abandoned uranium mine sites across the tribe’s land. The money comes in conjunction with a larger settlement from the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, the parent company of Kerr-McGee Corporation, which agreed to a settlement with the Department of Justice for $5.15 billion, a record sum for the cleanup of environmental contamination in DOJ history. The settlement provides needed funding for the cleanup, especially with the lack of government funding. According to a GAO report released earlier this year, government agencies have increased their overall efforts to address uranium mine contamination on the Navajo Reservation, but more still needs to be done.. The extent of contamination and total scope of work still remains unknown, and federal funding for cleanup work has begun to shrink in recent years, the report said. The GAO recommended Congressional direction and funding to make sure the agencies do the work necessary while interacting in a way that maximizes resources
Northeast Church Rock Mine Site Needs NRC License Amendment
The Northeast Church Rock Mine Site cleanup has been the focus of the Navajo EPA. For the project to move forward, however, the United Nuclear Corporation (UNC) uranium mill site, located adjacent to the NCR, needs a license-amendment from the NRC to enable disposal from NCR there, which is the preferred option of the EPA. “UNC/GE is expected to submit the License Amendment Request to the NRC who will initiate their safety and environmental review of the request. Depending on the potential limitations and challenges, a license amendment decision may be issued before the end of the five-year planning period,” the plan said. “If NRC approves the license amendment for the UNC Mill Site, GE could begin construction of a repository after entering into a consent decree with USEPA for the remedy construction. Finally, USEPA will work with the Navajo Nation to assess the need for additional NECR groundwater studies during the five-year planning period.”
More Investigations Needed at Tuba City Dump
The second cleanup site listed in the plan, the Tuba City Dump, still needs more investigative studies before it can move forward with a remediation plan, but the agencies hope to begin cleanup activities by the end of the five years. According to the plan, the goal for Tuba City is to “complete remedial Investigation and feasibility study and select and begin implementing a remedy.” The BIA has been charged back in 2007 with preparing the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Work Plan with the option for limited additional studies. Additional reports on groundwater analysis, public exposure risk, and relevant technologies to aid in the cleanup were still needed. According to the plan, “the BIA submitted the Draft Final RI Report to USEPA on April 7, 2014 and the Draft FS Report on May 12, 2014. BIA plans to finalize the RI and FS Reports after review and comment by USEPA, Navajo Nation, and Hopi Tribe. The review and comment process is expected to take several months with finalization of both documents expected by the end of 2014.”
