The Environmental Protection Agency announced this week it has approved a plan to remove and store more than 1 million cubic yards of uranium mine waste from a Navajo Nation community near Church Rock.
Homes stand two football fields away from the waste site, in an area known for flash floods. Erosion of soil and long-term exposure to the contaminants poses “unacceptable risks” for the more than 50 families living in the Red Water Pond Road community and to activities like hunting, livestock grazing and plant gathering, according to the EPA.
Residents might have high exposure to uranium and radiation, putting them at higher risk for health conditions like cancers and kidney damage, which has been seen in animals and humans exposed to uranium. …