o El RA NAVAJO NATION U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Region 9 • San Francisco, CA • November 2020 USEPA SETTLES WITH MINING COMPANIES TO CLEAN UP 94 ABANDONED URANIUM MINES ON THE NAVAJO NATION Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (Cyprus) and Western Nuclear, Inc. (WNI), two companies owned by Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., have agreed to assess and clean up 94 abandoned uranium mines in 10 chapters. The 94 mines include: • 77 former Cyprus and WNI mines, including 10 priority mines* • 17 mines that are near Cyprus mines *USEPA and NNEPA prioritized 46 mines across Navajo Nation based on gamma radiation levels, proximity to homes and potential for water contamination. Upcoming Assessments and Cleanup Under the Settlement In January 2017, the United States and Navajo Nation entered into a historic settlement agreement with Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear, Inc. to assess and clean up 94 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation. Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear, Inc. will perform the work under the oversight of USEPA in collaboration with the NNEPA. This agreement addresses almost twenty percent of the abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation. The mines are scattered throughout the Navajo Nation chapters of Chilchinbito, Cove, Dennehotso, Mexican Water, Oljato, Red Valley, Shiprock, Smith Lake, Teecnospos, and Tolikan (seeMap). This mine assessment work will be performed over many years in 3 phases. In 2018, Cyprus began the first phase of assessment work at 32 mines in Monument Valley, Tse Tah, Cove, and Red Valley. The reports for most of these mines will be completed in 2021. These assessments revealed 6 mine openings in Tse Tah, Cove and Cane Valley. Cyprus closed these openings as an interim action while the full extent of contamination is assessed. In 2021, Cyprus will begin the second phase of assessment work at an additional 32 mines in Red Valley. This assessment is planned to be complete in 2023. The final phase of assessment at 28 mines will begin in the future. These mines are located in the Central, Northern and North Central abandoned uranium mine regions. Figure 1: Cyprus Amax closed and fenced this mine opening at the Plot 6 mine in Tse Tah. This interim action was taken to address physical hazards while the full extent of contamination at the mine is assessed Figure 2: Cyprus Amax taking subsurface soil samples at the King Tutt Point mine in Red Valley ------- Utah Arizona^ - mM Red Mesa I k i ' * >«.- Tm o -q CD o O rf Dennehotso Tol ikd n Chilchinbeto # t) Teecnospos Beclabito Shiprock § i' ^Recl Valley V Red Valley Area * A' O o X 0 Sa 0 Church^** O O X 0 £ 0 Mines Cyprus Amax/Western Nuclear Phase 2 Trust US EPA Funded Other Private Companies • Tronox • Currently Unfunded Phase 1 Trust ® Navajo Superfund Lead Phase 2 Trust Water Study Abandoned Uranium Mines and Current Settlements Navajo Nation Cyprus Amax I Western Nuclear Sites Chapter House Road ~ Navajo Nation US State VR0^° ------- Superfund Process on the Navajo Nation Assessment 01 Access Agreements Resources Surveys Signs and Fences Decision Making Site Evaluation pp=| Engineering Evaluation I Cost Analysis Public Action Comment Memorandum Period Clean Up Operations & Maintenance Design cov Action o*on. 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 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; and • Get regular cancer screenings, like pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies, and other cancer screenings. KEEP OUT Ba'ha'dzid - Doo Ko'ne'na'adaa'da Building Gathering Playing Corrals . Digging . AT MINES Contact Navajo Superfund Program (| sUfy ;) for Information at 1-800-314-1846 or USEPA at 1-800-231-3075 For More Information Linda Reeves USEPA Superfund Division Remedial Project Manager Office: (415) 972-3445 Cell: (415) 565-1886 reeves, lin da@epa.gov Elsa Johnson USEPA Superfund Division Community Involvement Coordinator Office: (415) 947-3552 johnson.elsa@epa.gov Dariel Yazzie Environmental Program Supervisor NNEPA Superfund (928) 871-7601 darielyazzie@navajo-nsn.gov USEPA Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mine webpage: www.epa.gov/navaio-nation-uranium-cleanup ------- |