Navajo Nation bans uranium mining on its land
Published by MAC on 2005-04-22
Navajo Nation bans uranium mining on its land
Associated Press
22nd April 2005
Window Rock - The Navajo Nation Council has outlawed uranium mining and processing on the reservation that sprawls across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Tribal President Joe Shirley Jr. has 10 days from the time the bill arrives in his office to approve it. His spokesman, George Hardeen, said Shirley "will strongly support" the legislation. "When he was running for the president's office, he campaigned on this," Hardeen said Thursday. "He supported this all the way through. When the Navajo Nation Council tabled this in the winter session, he was disappointed."
Several council delegates and legislative counsel Raymond Atcitty predicted the legislation will be challenged in court - possibly as far as the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hardeen said that would be an interesting battle.
"The Navajo Nation is sovereign and this would be a wonderful test," he said. "Sovereign means people can pass their own laws and live by them. ... It would be interesting to see an outside company, especially a uranium processing company, take the Navajo Nation to court over this."
The measure reads: "No person shall engage in uranium mining and processing on any sites within Navajo Indian Country."
"It's very simple - uranium kills," said council Delegate Mark Maryboy.
The reservation covers 27,000 square miles in the Four Corners area, which holds one of the world's largest deposits of uranium ore. Mining companies began blasting holes in the 1940s and continued for nearly 40 years until decreased demand closed the operations.
By then, the Navajos were left with radiation sickness, contaminated tailings and abandoned mines. To avoid repeating the past, Navajo leaders and grassroots organizations have been working for years to keep mining from starting again.
The Navajo Nation Council, after heated debate that focused on several amendments, voted 63-19 Tuesday in favor of the Dine Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005. Dine is the Navajos' name for themselves.
The council deleted a provision that would have let individuals who wanted to mine or process uranium to seek approval from several council committees.
"The people have spoken and our leaders have listened to the people," said Delegate Alice Benally of Crownpoint, N.M. "Our people are still dying from this. This legislation was important to Navajo Nation, a very bid step for Navajo people."
Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium and another Navajo grassroots organization, Dine Bidzii, celebrated outside the council's chambers after the measure was approved. Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium had sought a ban for more than a decade.
"This legislation just chopped the legs off the uranium monster," said Norman Brown of Dine Bidzii.
The legislation prohibits pit mining as well as in-situ processing, which involves using a solution to leach out uranium and pump it to the surface.
Hydro Resources Inc. has been working with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for years to get approval for in-situ mining near the Navajo communities of Crownpoint and Church Rock. The company estimated nearly 100 million pounds of uranium exist at the sites.
Hydro Resources has argued that in-situ mining is safer than older methods, but Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center and others have managed to stall the effort. They argue that 15,000 people rely on the area's underground aquifer and they fear contamination from the proposed operation.
La Nación Navajo prohibió la minería de uranio en su territorio
Associated Press
22 de abril de 2005
Window Rock - El Consejo de la Nación Navajo prohibió la minería y el procesamiento de uranio en el territorio que la reservación ocupa, que incluye buena parte de los estados de Arizona, New Mexico y Utah.
El presidente tribal, Joe Shirley Jr., tiene 10 días para aprobar el proyecto de Ley. Su vocero, George Hardeen, dijo que Shirley "apoyará firmemente" dicha legislación. "Cuando se postuló para el cargo de presidente, hizo campaña en esto", agregó Hardeen. "Ha apoyado esto todo el tiempo. Se decepcionó cuando el Consejo Navajo aplazó la discusión en la sesión de invierno pasado".
Varios delegados del Consejo, y el consejero legislativo Raymond Atcitty, vaticinaron que la legislación será cuestionada por vía judicial - probablemente ante la Suprema Corte de Estados Unidos. Hardeen dijo que sería una battalla interesante. "La Nación Navajo es soberana, y esto va a ser una prueba de fuego" declaró. "Soberana significa que el pueblo puede aprobar sus propias leyes y vivir de acuerdo a ellas... Va a ser muy interesante ver a una compañía foránea, especialmente una que se dedique al procesamiento de uranio, que lleve a la Nación Navajo a la justicia sobre esta cuestión."
La medida dice textualmente: "Ninguna persona podrá desarrollar minería y procesamiento de uranio en ningún sitio de la Nación Navajo."
"Es muy simple: el uranio mata", dijo el delegado del Consejo Mark Maryboy.
La reservación cubre 27,000 millas cuadradas en el área de Four Corners, que contiene uno de los mayores depósitos de uranio del mundo. Varias compañías mineras comenzaron a cavar en los años 40´, y continuaron por unos 40 años hasta que la demanda decreciente provocó el cierre de las operaciones.
Pero entonces, los navajos quedaron con radiación, residuos contaminados y explotaciones abandonadas. Para evitar repetir el pasado, líderes navajo y organizaciones de base han trabajado durante años para evitar que la minería comience de nuevo en la región.
Navajo president asks for Richardson's help
Associated Press (AP)
August 27, 2005
SANTA FE -- Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. has asked for Gov. Bill Richardson's help in stopping a Canadian company from getting permission to mine uranium on tribal land in northwestern New Mexico.
Shirley met with Richardson on Tuesday to talk about the plans of Strathmore Minerals Corp., which has opened an office in Santa Fe and plans to pursue permits to mine uranium at two sites in McKinley County, including an area near Church Rock on the Navajo Nation.
Shirley signed legislation in April that bans uranium mining and processing on the tribe's land, which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
"The Navajo Nation as a government and a people has said we're not going to have uranium mining on Navajoland or in Navajo Country," Shirley said. "We'd like to see that law stick."
There is currently no uranium mining on the reservation, which covers 27,000 square miles in the Four Corners area and holds one of the world's largest deposits of uranium ore.
Mining companies began blasting holes on Navajo land in the 1940s and operations continued for nearly 40 years until decreased demand closed the mines. By then, the Navajos were left with radiation sickness, contaminated tailings and abandoned mines.
To avoid repeating the past, Navajo leaders and grassroots organizations have been working for years to keep mining from starting again.
Strathmore officials have met with the governor's office in hopes of gaining state approval to reopen the Church Rock and Roca Honda mines it purchased from Kerr McGee Nuclear and Rio Algom.
Shirley said Richardson assured him he would not take action without consulting with the Navajo Nation.
"Because of exposure to uranium, many of my medicine people have died, many of my elderly have died," Shirley said. "I'd sure hate to go back there. Too many of my people have died."
Strathmore, in a news release issued earlier this month, said it was seeking the permits to mine in New Mexico based on the extensive drilling that has already been done in the area and the favorable feasibility studies done by previous owners. The company also said the historical production from adjacent properties was promising.
The company said it was preparing documents needed for permitting, including an archaeological and cultural resources clearance, hydrological evaluations, spill prevention and a reclamation plan.
Studies of the mine sites are scheduled to begin next spring, the company said.
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