Native American tribes face a legacy of health and environmental consequences

National Conference of State Legislatures

By Tansey Moore

June 11, 2025

As the United States increasingly looks to expand reliable baseload energy sources, nuclear power is emerging as an important part of the mix. This is especially true in states trying to meet growing energy demands driven largely by artificial intelligence and data centers. In many cases, states are setting their sights on small modular reactors, or SMRs, which have a smaller physical footprint compared with large reactors and can potentially come online sooner. …

Albuquerque Journal

By Algernon D’Ammassa

June 11, 2025

A vote by the Sunland Park City Council last week set the city on course to absorb the nonprofit water utility serving an estimated 19,466 individuals and industrial areas in Sunland Park and Santa Teresa. …

Cibola Citizen

By Diego Lopez

May 28, 2025

GRANTS, N.M. — A sweeping series of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on May 23 aims to fast-track uranium mining across the United States, raising serious questions about the future of two long-dormant mines near Mount Taylor the White House sees as “priority projects.” …

Source NM

May 22, 2025

Recent federal activity suggests the Trump administration has two long-stalled uranium mines near New Mexico’s Mount Taylor on its radar.

Earlier this month, a federal infrastructure agency included Roca Honda and La Jara Mesa uranium mines on a new list of 20 projects nationally that advance “the President’s directive to take immediate action to facilitate domestic production of America’s vast mineral resources,” according to a statement from the council.. …

By Jason Groves

Las Cruces Sun News

May 13, 2025

The Santa Teresa Industrial Park arsenic treatment facility failed a voluntary arsenic test in April.

The facility, operated by the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, was one of three CRRUA water treatment facilities tested. The Sunland Park and Santa Teresa Community facilities each tested below the Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminate level for arsenic of 10 parts per billion (ppb), according to a CRRUA news release. …

By Algernon D’Ammassa 

Albuquerque Journal

May 6, 2025

SUNLAND PARK — A beleaguered water utility serving nearly 20,000 people in Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and southern Doña Ana County reported progress Monday on correcting deficiencies in assuring safe drinking water cited by the New Mexico Environment Department. …

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Advocates worry contract could lead to truckloads of uranium from Mount Taylor to Utah
By Patrick Lohmann
Source NM
April 7, 2025

A provision in the secret, controversial agreement allowing a private company to transport uranium ore across the Arizona side of the Navajo Nation has New Mexico anti-nuclear advocates increasingly worried about the prospect of new mining activity near a mountain sacred to the Navajo people. …

Lauren Elizabeth Shults

El Paso Times

March 19, 2025

Friday, March 7, Sunland Park residents demanded the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority require water quality testing and arsenic testing when potential disruptions to water quality occur, implement a rate freeze for the next four years and provide free, third-party clean water when discolored water incidents happen, among other requests. …

KOAT 7

March 12, 2025

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. —People living in Sunland Park people are demanding clean water, regular testing and a pause on changes to water service rates.

This week the city’s water service, Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, held a board meeting where residents showed samples of recent discolored water. …

Paul Schulz
KIVA-7
March 10, 2025

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KVIA) — Several Sunland Park spoke at Monday’s Camino Real Regional Utility Authority board meeting, demanding clean water, regular testing and no changes to the rate over the next four years. …

Leaked recording reveals firings and disarray at agency 

By Patrick Lohmann
Source NM
March 3, 2025

The leader of the Cibola National Forest told Forest Service employees at a staff meeting Wednesday that the agency would be refocusing on “mission critical” areas like uranium mining, according to a recording of the meeting Source New Mexico obtained. Officials also told staff that 15 employees had been fired. …

By Maria Fernandez
Daily Lobo
February 3, 2025

On Jan. 17, the Environmental Protection Agency announced an investigation into the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque City Council over allegedly discriminating against a South Valley neighborhood by taking action to prevent the adoption of a rule to reduce pollution in the area.

The investigation stems from two complaints filed by the Mountain View Coalition and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. …

By Neely Bardwell
Native News Online
January 8, 2025

The Environmental Protection Agency will move uranium mine waste from Churchrock, New Mexico to the Red Rock regional landfill where it can be safely stored forever. 

The federal agency signed an action memo to transport radioactive waste at the Quivira Mining Co. Churchrock Mine to a disposal site at the Red Rock regional landfill about six miles east of the Village of Thoreau. The cleanup will begin in early 2025 and continue for 6-8 years.

By Vida Volkert
Gallup Independent
January 8, 2025

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Despite numerous complaints and community opposition to transfer uranium waste to the landfill in Thoreau, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with its plan.