Hope Kiah

New Mexico – so-called “interim” storage site for highly radioactive nuclear waste given go-ahead by Nuclear Regulatory Commission – and the fight against it continues.Kevin Kamps is the radioactive waste watchdog for Beyond Nuclear, where he specializes in high-level waste management and transportation; new and existing reactors; decommissioning; Congress watch; climate change; and federal subsidies. He’s been involved in the nuclear waste battle for decades now, as you’ll hear from the breadth, depth and specificity of his information. We spoke on Monday, April 27, 2020. 

by Libbe HaLevy | Jul 30, 2019. Uranium mining marks the start of the nuclear fuel chain and the deadly journey that element takes to become atomic weapons, nuclear reactors, and tons of highly radioactive waste that we do not know how to store safely for tens of thousands of years.

On July 13 and 14, Nuclear Hotseat attended commemorative events for the 1979 Church Rock uranium tailings pond breach and spill, which dumped more than 94 million gallons of highly acidic radioactive water into the adjacent Puerco River. The contamination reached Sanders, Arizona, and was recorded at least 80 miles away. The spill has never been cleaned up, and even now, while it has been declared a Superfund site, it will take at least two years before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission finishes its review of the EPA’s clean-up plan – and clean-up can’t even begin until and unless the plan is approved.. And even that plan has come in for criticism by activists and community members.

Read the entire story at nuclearhotseat.com

by Libbe HaLevy | Jul 17, 2019. Chris Shuey is Director of the Uranium Impact Assessment Program for Southwest Research and Information Service.  He has worked with Navajo Nation communities on uranium mining issues for 38 years. Chris has helped document the persistent impact of the 1979 uranium tailings pond disaster, which dumped 94 million gallons of highly acidic radioactive waste into the Puerco River and traveled beyond Sanders, Arizona. In this special extended interview, he goes over the resulting degradation of the water, land, and health on Navajo Nation, as well as cultural issues that make the people unwilling to leave their ancestral lands, no matter how contaminated. We spoke on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 – just before I left for Church Rock, NM to cover the 40th anniversary commemoration events.

Read the entire story at nuclearhotseat.com.