July 14 Uranium Legacy Commemoration
7 am at Red Water Pond Road Community on Navajo Nation, 12 miles from Church Rock, NM
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Lister: Mount Taylor Mine bustling with activity during ‘standby’
By Kathy Helms May 18, 2018
Cibola County Bureau cibola@gallupindependent.com
GRANTS — At the time Gulf Mineral Resources Co. was looking to open the Mount Taylor Mine, most geologists knew that the Westwater occurrence would be mineralized with uranium east of the San Rafael Fault, but deemed it too deep, too wet, too hot to produce. Yet they knew from drilling results that there were large resources there.
They acquired the land position, entered a joint venture agreement in the early 1970s with other companies – soon to be bought out by Gulf – and decided to go into commercial operation. They handed off the information about geologic resource estimates to engineers.
“The engineers took the information and started developing that technical program that was going to allow them to sink two shafts over 3,000 feet in probably the most hostile working conditions known in the western United States,” Joe Lister, manager of the mine, testified during a two-day hearing May 7 and 8 in Santa Fe before the New Mexico Mining Commission.
At issue is whether the Mining and Minerals director erred when he signed off on a permit Dec. 29, allowing the mine to return to active status although it is projected to take nearly a decade to get to the point of mineral production. The director’s decision is being challenged by the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment and Amigos Bravos.
They contend that Rio Grande Resources, owner of the mine, has postponed cleanup by continuing to request standby permits, and with only one standby period remaining, now says it will begin producing uranium again. They also believe that “active” mines should be producing minerals and economic benefits to communities or be cleaned up.
Jim Kuipers, the groups’ expert witness, testified: “When we allow a mine to flood, that’s not a decision to keep it on standby. That’s a decision to close the mine.” Lister disagreed.
Uranium mining’s past colors Mount Taylor Mine’s future
By Kathy Helms May 16, 2018
Cibola County Bureau cibola@gallupindependent.com
GRANTS — Christine Lowery, of Paguate Village, was 4 years old when uranium mining began at Anaconda Mineral Company’s Jackpile-Paguate Mine. She has seen the effects it has had on community members. She doesn’t want San Mateo residents living next to Mount Taylor Mine to suffer a similar fate through a restart of mining.
The Jackpile mine operated 1953-1982. In December 2013, it was finally added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List for cleanup – something Lowery is not likely to see in her lifetime.
Lowery shared her experience with the New Mexico Mining Commission at a two-day hearing May 7-8 in Santa Fe. Petitioners Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment and Amigos Bravos challenged a permit signed Dec. 29 by the director of the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division, allowing the Mount Taylor Mine to emerge from standby status. The groups contend that Rio Grande Resources, owner of the mine, has postponed cleanup by obtaining permits allowing it to remain on standby for two decades.
“I come from the Pueblo of Laguna, and while we had jobs for one generation, it has left us with a legacy that we will live with for countless generations to come,” Lowery said. “I have chosen not to have children because I know how hard it is going to be for those grandchildren, and their children that are coming. I know that there is never going to be enough cleanup. The Superfund cleanup – I will be dead and buried in uranium dust before this is done.”
“There is no such thing as reclamation. You can never put things back. In the old days, even the sheepherders knew how dangerous this area was and they would not take their sheep up there to graze because the sheep would get sick. Yes, we were rich in uranium, and we have been sacrificed,” she said. “This whole region that you have heard about is pockmarked with holes that are bringing up poison; and we will never, ever be the same.”
NOT ABOUT MONEY? State board: ‘Economics’ not factor in Mt Taylor restart decision
By Kathy Helms May 11, 2018
Cibola County Bureau cibola@gallupindependent.com
SANTA FE — It will be several weeks before the New Mexico Mining Commission decides whether the state Mining and Minerals Division director erred in granting Rio Grande Resources’ request to reactivate the Mount Taylor Mine. While there are many factors to be weighed, economics is not one of them, according to the panel.
The Mining Commission met Monday and Tuesday in Santa Fe to hear arguments on a petition filed by the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment and Amigos Bravos, which challenged the director’s Dec. 29 decision.
The organizations contend that Rio Grande Resources, owner of the mine, has requested three standby periods since the New Mexico Mining Act was enacted in 1993, and that its most recent request to return the mine to operating status in 2014 is a ruse to avoid cleanup while waiting for uranium prices to recover and make mining viable.
Gabriel Wade, attorney for the Mining and Minerals Division, asked the Mining Commission to eliminate any discussion of economics because the rule that talks about a mine coming off standby does not mention an economic analysis being required, and is therefore irrelevant, he said.
Eric Jantz, an attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center which represented the groups, argued that the Mining Act itself referenced the extraction of a salable or usable commodity. “The Legislature clearly contemplated having some input into the economic viability of an operator,” he said.
Mt Taylor Hearing May 7 in Santa Fe – Public Comment Needed!
ZOMBIE MINE PLANS WOULD LEAVE IT HALF-DEAD WITH ZERO CLEANUP
A Sacred Place is Threatened by Uranium Mining
Mt Taylor Uranium Mine Public Hearing
Monday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 9 am
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BEGINS AT 11:30 am
Wendell Chino Building, 1220 South St Francis Drive, Santa Fe
The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment and Amigos Bravos have filed an appeal to a permit issued by the New Mexico Mining Commission that would allow the Mt. Taylor Uranium Mine to return to “active” status, even though its own expert said it wouldn’t produce any uranium. The mine has not produced any uranium since 1990 and has been avoiding cleanup while under “standby” status. When the mine is in active or standby status, cleanup requirements are put on hold.
It is time to kill this Zombie Mine and demand cleanup now!
This is simply a game to avoid having to start reclamation. By playing, the State is failing in its duties to protect groundwater for future generations. We all stand to loose.
Your input has impact! Join us to demand a safer New Mexico!
All regional Tribes including the 19 Pueblos have declared the land around Mt. Taylor unsuitable for mining activities due to its widespread cultural significance as a sacred site and the unique value of the area’s hydrologic resources.
For more information contact:
swuraniumimpacts.org 505.577.8438 or amigosbravos.org 575.758.3874
Press Release: Zombie Mine Begins to Stir
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Contacts
Susan Gordon, MASE Coordinator 505-577-8438
Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos Projects Coordinator 575.770.8327
Eric Jantz, NMELC Staff Attorney 505.989.9022 x 120
Michael Jensen, NMELC Communications and Public Education 505.362.1063
Zombie Uranium Mine Begins to Stir
Mining and Minerals Division Permit Violates State Mining Act
SANTA FE, N.M.— The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) and Amigos Bravos filed a Petition for Review with the New Mexico Mining Commission requesting that the Commission review the Mining and Mineral Division (MMD) Director’s radical decision to allow Mt Taylor Mine to go back on “active” or “operational” status despite no realistic likelihood that mining will take place for the foreseeable future.
Eric Jantz, staff attorney at the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, which is representing MASE and Amigos Bravos, said:
“The Director’s decision directly contradicts the New Mexico Mining Act’s plain language, which restricts “operational” mines to those that are producing minerals. The Director has unilaterally created an entirely new category of mine activity – “zombie mines” – that have been given new life in an effort to avoid cleanup.”
The Mt. Taylor Mine, which is owned by Rio Grande Resources (RGR), has not produced uranium since 1990. The permit will allow eight (8) years of so-called “reactivation” activities. However, nothing in the application and documents indicates that there will be mining production. RGR’s own expert testified during the permit hearing that the market would be unfavorable for another 10-15 years.
“Mt. Taylor is a zombie mine,” said Susan Gordon, coordinator for MASE. “It’s neither producing uranium nor is it cleaning up its ongoing pollution. This is simply a game by RGR to avoid having to start reclamation.”
“The Director’s decision means that a mining company can continue making up even highly unrealistic plans for production at some indeterminate time in the future and effectively put off reclaiming a mine forever. Redefining ‘active’ eliminates the Mining Act’s 20-year limit for standby status, which increases the chances that the mine will continue to contaminate the environment.”
The New Mexico Mining Act was enacted in 1993 and allows mines to remain inactive in standby status for a maximum of 20 years before reclamation must be required. In December 2018 Mt Taylor mine will have been on standby status for 20 years. During standby status, mine operators are required to take action to prevent contamination from moving off site or getting into the groundwater, but are not required to initiate full reclamation. A return to active status also does not require reclamation and closeout activities.
“RGR has avoided cleaning up its mess for long enough,” said Rachel Conn, Projects Director for Amigos Bravos.
“Many of the so-called ‘reactivation’ activities mentioned in the permit are activities the mine should have been doing during standby. In its recent decision, the state is failing in its duties to protect groundwater for future generations.”
Petuuche Gilbert, a member of MASE and the Laguna Acoma Coalition for a Safe Environment, said,
“Mt Taylor is sacred to Acoma and other indigenous peoples, but it is equally important to other people. It must not be polluted by uranium mining. It is important to all people for water and its other natural resources.”
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Background
• The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) is a network of groups located in the Grants Mining Belt of northwestern New Mexico that works collaboratively to stop new uranium mines and cleanup wastes. www.swuraniumimpacts.org
• Amigos Bravos is a statewide water advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the waters of New Mexico. www.amigosbravos.org
• The Mt. Taylor Mine first began producing uranium, on a test basis, in 1979. Test production ceased in 1982. Operations resumed in 1985 and ceased again in 1990
• The Mine received a mine permit under the Mining Act in 1995; its first standby permit in 1999, its second standby permit revisions during 2004-2005; and its third standby permit in 2012, which expired in 2014 because of conditions put on the permit
• The Mt Taylor Mine should end its maximum 20-year standby status in 2019, both because its first standby permit was issued in 1999 and because its third permit expired in 2014, leaving only a final maximum five-year standby permit left
• December 4th, 2015 – During a standby permit hearing, MASE and Amigos Bravos challenged RGR’s unreasonable predictions of the economic viability of the mine in the face of a continued depressed international uranium market
• December 29, 2017 – The New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division issued a Return to Active Permit for RGR’s Mt. Taylor Mine
New Mexico Environment Day – Feb 1st
New Mexico Environment Day
Everything Is Connected.
One Place. One Team.
Advocating for the social, environmental,
and economic health of New Mexico
ENVIRONMENT DAY Feb. 1, 8:00am – 3:30pm
Join MASE on Thursday, Feb 1st at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe
Citizen lobbyists can make a real difference on issues ranging from promoting renewable energy in New Mexico to preserving the free-flowing Gila River.
You will receive on-the-ground training, fact sheets on the issues and opportunities to try out your skills at the Roundhouse. You will hear from our legislative champions and leaders on an array of conservation issues.
8:00 a.m: Learn how to participate effectively in a committee hearing, outside Room 311
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Rotunda: Information tables from environmental justice, energy, wildlands, water and wildlife groups
Room 326 will be our base during the day. Drinks and snacks available.
9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: Lobby trainings and practice. Room 326.
12 p.m. in the Rotunda: Join New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light and partner groups from the Poor People’s Campaign about the moral and ethical impacts of the budget.
2 p.m. in the Rotunda: Hear from an array of speakers on important environmental issues from clean school buses for kids to protecting Chaco from fracking.
Summary
When: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 (if you can only come for a short time, please come at 2pm to hear from from our speakers. Help us fill the Rotunda!)
For more information contact: Susan Gordon 505-577-8438 sgordon@swuraniumimpacts.org
Press Release: Mt. Taylor Mine “Return to Active” Permit – Will Zombie Uranium Mine Continue to Avoid Cleanup?
For immediate release – January 4, 2018
Mt. Taylor Mine “Return to Active” Permit
Will Zombie Uranium Mine Continue to Avoid Cleanup?
Contacts:
Susan Gordon, coordinator, MASE, 505-577-8438, susangordon@earthlink.net
Rachel Conn, Projects Director, Amigos Bravos, 575-770-8327, rconn@amigosbravos.org
On December 29, 2017 the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) issued a Return to Active Permit for Rio Grande Resources’ (RGR) Mt. Taylor Mine. The Mt. Taylor Mine has been on standby status polluting the surrounding environment for the last 17 years.
During a December 4th, 2015 hearing the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) and Amigos Bravos challenged RGR’s unreasonable predictions of the economic viability of the mine in the face of a continued depressed international uranium market. Two years later – 2 more years that cleanup has not occurred – MMD has issued a decision ignoring testimony on the impacts from pollution to our communities from the Mt. Taylor Mine and the failure of RGR to conduct interim reclamation.
MASE and Amigos Bravos will appeal MMD’s radical decision to allow a mine to go back on “active” status despite no realistic likelihood that mining will take place. The permit will allow 8 years of so-called “reactivation” activities. However, nothing in the application and documents indicates that there will be mining production. RGR’s own expert testified during the permit hearing that the market would be unfavorable for another 10-15 years.
Now the state has granted the mine’s request to move to active status. When the mine is in active or standby status reclamation requirements are put on hold.
“Mt. Taylor is a zombie mine,” said Susan Gordon, coordinator for MASE. “It’s neither producing uranium nor is it cleaning up its ongoing pollution. This is simply a game by RGR to avoid having to start reclamation.”
“RGR has avoided cleaning up its mess for long enough,” said Rachel Conn, Projects Director for Amigos Bravos. “ In it’s recent decision, the state is failing in it’s duties to protect groundwater for future generations.”
The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment is a network of groups located in the Grants Mining Belt of northwestern New Mexico that works collaboratively to stop new uranium mines and cleanup wastes. www.masecoalition.org
Amigos Bravos is a statewide water advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the waters of New Mexico. www.amigosbravos.org
Click here to download the press release.
ACTION ALERT: Call Congress Now! Add RECA Amendments to Defense Bill
Update on the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act (RECA) Amendments Campaign
There are more than 30 groups working to gain justice and compensation for all uranium miners and downwind communities harmed by the development of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. For more information click here: https://swuraniumimpacts.org/category/library/radiation-exposure-compensation-act/
The US Senate and House will shortly be considering the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA.)
As part of the bill, House Representative Ben Ray Lujan submitted an amendment # 846 to the NDAA. Senator Tom Udall has submitted the same amendment for consideration by the Senate. Amendment #846 that states:
“It is the sense of Congress that the United States should compensate and recognize all of the miners, workers, downwinders, and others suffering from the effects of uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing carried out during the Cold War.”
ACTION – CALL NOW 9/18/17
Call your Senators and Representative and ask them to support Amendment #846 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
• Ask for their support of Amendment #846
• Tell them it is past time for justice and compensation for all uranium workers and downwinders.
• Tell them if you are a former uranium worker or downwinder.
• Tell them if a family member or friend has died.
Dial the US Capitol switchboard at (202) 224- 3121 and request to be connected to the office. Remember you need to make 3 phone calls.
What can you do? Join our Campaign!
Dear Colleagues:
Will you join with the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) as we start a campaign for justice and compensation for the uranium miners at the front end of the nuclear fuel chain? We are advocating to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include ALL uranium workers and additional downwind communities that were harmed by the U.S. above-ground nuclear weapons explosion tests. www.swuraniumimpacts.org
What You Can Do
Support
We are asking Organizations to join our campaign. By joining, you show your support and help get the word out to your constituency.
Send an email message to sgordon@swuraniumimpacts.org with:
Your Name & Title (you should be authorized to list your organization)
Organization Name
Organization Address
Organization Phone
Organization Website
Organization contact and links will be posted and updated at www.swuraniumimpacts.org
Share
We have an online petition for individuals to send messages to their Congressional Delegation asking for the support to move the RECA Amendments forward. Please post this on your website and send out to your list serves.
Send
We have pre-addressed postcards to send to Senator Charles Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee. The RECA Amendments are assigned to his committee and we are urging him to hold a hearing. Download postcard pdf. We encourage printing on bright yellow card stock.
https://swuraniumimpacts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/17-postcard-3-1.pdf
See our Resources
Several documents are available for easy download from the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment including text of the RECA Amendment Bills and 115th Congress Bill Sponsors
https://swuraniumimpacts.org/category/library/radiation-exposure-compensation-act/
Contact for More Information
Susan Gordon, Coordinator, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment
sgordon@swuraniumimpacts.org 505-577-8438 www.swuraniumimpacts.org
All uranium mine and mill workers and downwind communities deserve compensation for the health and environmental problems caused by uranium mining and the above-ground U.S. nuclear weapons tests.