#EPA TseTah Area Mines Updates
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region
Francisco,
November
This Factsheet covers mines in the following chapters:
Tolikan, Teecnospos, Red Mesa, and Mexican Water
Background
Funds are available to assess and clean up 37 abandoned uranium mines in Tse
Tah and 11 mines near Tse Tali. Funds are also available to conduct a water
study and assessments at two mines in Tse Tah (see map for locations).
Funds to assess and clean up the mines are provided by:
• Two legal settlements between Navajo Nation and the United States
(more information below);
• A legal settlement with Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (Cyprus Amax); and
• The Tronox legal settlement for mines operated by Kerr-McGee Corporation.
Uranium was mined in the Tse Tah area from the 1940s to 1960s. Beginning in
the 1990s, the Navajo Nation Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program
addressed physical hazards at these mines. Under the direction of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), detailed investigations, also called
Removal Site Evaluations (RSEs), have been completed at six mines and field
work has been completed at 18 mines.
Phase 1 Trustee's team of experts assessing soil
samples at a Tse Tah abandoned uranium mine.
Settlement Name
Number of Funded Mines
Superfund Process Status
In Tse Tah Near Tse Tah
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Settlements
9 1
Removal Site Evaluations (RSEs) for four Phase 1 Trust
mines completed in October 2018
Cyprus Amax
27 9
RSEs for 18 mines to be completed in 2021
Tronox
1 1
RSEs for two mines were completed in 2019
Total
37 11
Legal Agreements and the Superfund Cleanup Process
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Trusts
Four of the mines assessed in and near Tse Tah were among 16
mines assessed under the "Phase 1" legal settlement between
the Navajo Nation and the United States. Sadie Hoskie was
the trustee implementing the Phase 1 Trust. The results of the
Phase 1 assessments in the Tse Tah area are included in RSEs
and were shared with the community in fall 2018.
The Phase 2 Settlement provides funds to assess four addi-
tional mines, conduct a water study with assessments at two
additional mines, and conduct any necessary cleanup at the
four mines assessed under the Phase 1 Settlement. The Trustee
for the Phase 2 work is Derrith Watchman-Moore. She will
begin work at the six additional mines in Tse Tah in 2021.
Once an additional legal document is executed, she will begin
the cleanup process at the Phase 1 sites.
Cyprus Amax Minerals Company Settlement
In 2017, the United States and the Navajo Nation entered
into a settlement agreement with Cyprus Amax and Western
Nuclear, two companies owned by Freeport-McMoRan. The
settlement funds the assessment and cleanup of 94 abandoned
uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, including 36 mines in
and near Tse Tah. Cyprus Amax is currently finishing detailed
investigations (RSEs) at 18 of these mines in Tse Tah.
Tronox Settlement
In 2015, the United States entered into a historic legal
settlement that provides almost $1 billion to investigate and
clean up approximately 50 abandoned uranium mines on or
near Navajo Nation that were operated by Kerr-McGee and its
successor, Tronox. Two of these mines are in or near Tse Tah
and detailed investigations were completed in 2019. USEPA
is currently preparing risk assessments and Engineering
Evaluations / Cost Analyses for two Tronox mines.
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Melvin
Benally
No. 1
Saytah Canyon
^-CBW-MC Mine
Eurida Mine and
East Workings
NA-0505B
Mexican Water
Tolikan
Beclabito
J
Rock Point~
Mines
• Cyprus Amax
P Tronox
' P Phase 1 Trust
Phase 2 Trust
Currently Unfunded
Additional Sites
^ Cyprus Amax
— Location
Streams and Washes
A —^, ...
N
A
0 1.25 2.5
7.5
10
Miles
March 31, 2020
Navajo Nation - Tse Tah
Abandoned Uranium Mines and Current Settlements
Wj
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A<-
Mines
¦ Cyprus Amax
¦ Phase 1 Trust
H Phase 2 Trust
¦ Currently Unfunded
M Tronox
Additional Sites
^ Cyprus Amax
(*3 Water Study Location
Tracks
•— Roads
Streams and Washes
Block K
McKenzie 3
Hoskie
Henry:
Black Rock
Point Mines
NA-0917A
Jimmie
Bileen 1
Sandy K
North Martin
NA-0919A
Martin Mine
and George
Simpson No. 1
Grover Cleveland 1
George Saytah
Simpson
1 Incline
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What Has Been Done?
• Legal settlements provide funds to assess, evaluate, design and
clean up 48 mines.
• USEPA met with chapter officials, hosted two informational
meetings and one water informational meeting for the Tse
Tah communities, and began developing a Community
Involvement Plan.
• The Phase 1 Trustee completed RSEs for four mines, shared
results with the communities and heard comments on
October 23, 2018.
• A community Liaison was hired for the Tse Tah area.
• USEPA completed investigations at two Tronox mines in 2019.
What is Happening Now?
• USEPA will complete a Community Involvement Plan by the
end of 2020.
• USEPA is preparing risk assessments and Engineering
Evaluations / Cost Analyses for two Tronox mines.
What Happens Next?
• USEPA will implement the Community Involvement
Plan and share it with the community.
• Cyprus Amax will complete investigations at 18 mines.
• The Phase 2 RSE Trustee will begin work to assess four
mines, and conduct a water study and assess two
additional mines in Tse Tah.
• Once RSE reports are complete:
> the risk the mines pose to people and the
environment will be assessed;
> cleanup alternatives will be evaluated;
> a final cleanup alternative will be selected; and
> the mines will be cleaned up.
• USEPA will continue to investigate companies
responsible for all other mines not currently funded.
Superfund Process on the Navajo Nation
Assessment
Access
Agreements
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Resources
Surveys
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Signs and
Fences
Site
Evaluation
Decision Making Clean Up
Operations &
Maintenance
Engineering Public Action Design
Evaluation / Comment Memorandum
Cost Analysis Period
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Action
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Long-term
O&M
Community Involvement and planning for a site's future are ongoing throughout the process
Coordination with the Navajo Nation government including NNEPA, Navajo AML, and the Dine Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission
KIEP OUT
Ba'ha'dzid - Doo Ko'ne'na'adaa'da
Reduce Your Contact with Uranium and Radiation
Steps to keep yourself safe:
• Stay away from abandoned mines and mills
• Find out if your home is a contaminated structure
• Use regulated water for human needs
• Never use unregulated water for human needs -
even if it looks OK
Use good water hauling practices to keep your
water clean
Get regular cancer screenings, like pap tests,
mammograms, colonoscopies, and other cancer
screenings
For More Information
Linda Reeves
Freyja Knapp
Elsa Johnson
Dariel Yazzie
Remedial Project Manager
Remedial Project Manager
Community Involvement
Environmental Program
(Phase 1 Trust Mines and
(Phase 2 RSE Trust Mines)
Coordinator
Supervisor
Cyprus Amax mines)
USEPA Region 9
(All Tse Tah Mines)
NNEPA Superfund Program
USEPA Region 9
(415) 972-3025
USEPA Region 9
(928) 871-7601
(415) 972-3445
knapp.freyja@epa.gov
(415) 947-3552
darielyazzie@navajo-nsn.gov
reeves.linda@epa.gov
johnson.elsa@epa.gov
Navaio Nation Abandoned Uranium Mines webpaee: https://www.epa.^ov/navaio-nation-uranium-cleanup
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'Processed chlorine-free
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