Mine reclamation slow in coming for Navajo Nation and Russians
By Kathy Helms 11/8/16
Cibola County Bureau cibola@gallupindependent.com
CHURCHROCK — Approximately 140,000 cubic yards of radium contaminated material have been cleaned up from the Red Water Pond Road community near Churchrock using what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls “time critical removal actions.” The big cleanup is yet to come.
“Everything’s going backwards,” Bertha Nez said. Her residence is one of three nearest United Nuclear Corp.’s Northeast Church Rock Mine site. Her yard was cleaned up in 2007.
“They should have cleaned up the tailings first and then cleaned around the residences.
We’re still waiting and they keep postponing it. Actually, they’re waiting for the old ones to die off,” she said.
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