Technical Assistance Services

for Communities

Cove Area Abandoned Uranium Mines

24-Hour HAZWOPER
Health and Safety Training Course
June 9-11, 2015

The 24-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training -
provided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) contractor Weston Solutions - took place
from June 9 to June 11, 2015, at Dine College in
Shiprock, New Mexico. The 18 trainees included
Cove community members, Cove Chapter officials,
Cove Authorized Local Emergency Response Team
(ALERT) members, and interns from Navajo
Technical University, the New Mexico Institute of
Mining and Technology, Dine College
Environmental Institute, and Eastern New Mexico
University.

The goal of the training was to teach participants to
recognize, evaluate and control site hazards, and to
select proper personal protection equipment (PPE).
These topics are relevant to upcoming soil and
water sampling and the cleanup of areas around
Cove that may be contaminated with uranium.

The HAZWOPER training provided participants
with knowledge that will directly inform their work,
whether they are educating the community about
hazards, health and safety, working in potentially
contaminated settings, responding to a community
emergency, or applying lessons learned to their
research.

Participants prepare for a presentation during
the 24-Hour HAZWOPER Health and Safety
Training Course in Shiprock, New Mexico.

Day 1 started with a welcome address and
introductions. The agenda included topics such as
health and safety, regulations, levels of protection,
and information sources. Day 2 included topics
related to radiation awareness and instrumentation.
Trainees had the opportunity to see and handle the
instruments used in sediment and soil sampling. On
the last day, trainees learned about sampling, hazard
recognition, respiratory protection, site control and
surveying, and safety planning. The training
program ended with a required test for all
participants.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Assistance Services for Communities 2015

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For More Information, Please



Contact:



Tina Ulrich



Cove Community Liaison



tna_e@yahoo.com



(970) 759-7274



Wilson Yee



EPA Region 9 Project Manager



(41 5) 972-3484

L

yee.wilson@epa.gov <

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