What Has Been Done? • In 1991, United Nuclear Corporation removed mine waste from Old Church Rock mill settling ponds and transported the waste to Northeast Church Rock Mine. • In 2003, the Church Rock Chapter initiated the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project (CRUMP) to assess environmental conditions in residential areas. In 2007, the assessment results were published in the "Report of the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project." • In 2007, a scoping survey was conducted by NNEPA, and recommendations were provided for assessing soils and sediments near Old Church Rock Mine. • In 2009, a site characterization was conducted to follow up on the recommendations provided in the 2007 NNEPA scoping survey. What Has Been Found? • All investigations have found elevated gamma rates inside the fenced facility boundary and in some areas outside the fence. • Although some reclamation has occurred at the site, mine waste is still present within and outside of the fenced area, including east of State Highway 566. • Mine waste has been transported downstream by the arroyo that runs along the western edge of the site, which empties into the Puerco River. What is Happening Now? • A removal assessment (includes gamma scans of surface soils, surface soil sampling, and background area studies) is being prepared to evaluate whether a TCRA is necessary. What Happens Next? • If the removal assessment identifies an imminent and substantial danger to the surrounding community, USEPA will conduct a TCRA. • USEPA will start developing a human health and ecological risk assessment and an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) within the next 2-3 years. Superfund Process on the Navajo Nation Assessment Mfctl - Access Agreements ! J* Resources Signs and Site Surveys Fences Evaluation Decision Making 0 ¦ Engineering Public Action Evaluation / Comment Memorandum Cost Analysis Period Clean Up Design Action Operations & Maintenance fl" Ongoing Maintenance 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 For More Information Kenyon Larsen Priscilla Tom Lee Anna M. Silversmith Remedial Project Manager Community Involvement Coordinator Remedial Project Manager USEPA Region 9 USEPA Region 9 NNEPA (415)914-4213 (505) 240-0093 (928) 871-6859 larsen. kenyon@epa.gov tom.priscilla@epa.gov lamartinez@navajo-nsn.gov USEPA Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mine webpage: www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium -cleanup Pnnted on 50% post-consumer recycled paper processed chlorine-free Old Church Rock Mine :s in the Church Rock Chapter of the Navajo Nation, New Mexico &EPA Old Church Rock Mine U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Region 9 • San Francisco, CA • December 2022 Background Old Church Rock Mine is an inactive underground uranium mining facility located approximately 8 miles northeast of Gallup, New Mexico in the Church Rock Chapter of the Navajo Nation. The approximately 75-acre site includes a closed mine shaft, an empty ion- exchange building, five dry pond beds, former stockpile areas, and concrete pads. Old Church Rock Mine was operated by Phillips Petroleum Company in the early 1960s, and the mine was reopened and operated by United Nuclear Corporation from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1981. A total of 316,250 tons of ore were produced using 800- to 900-foot shafts. Once mined, uranium ore was sent off site for processing. Groundwater was pumped from the underground mine workings to prevent flooding. Once at the surface, groundwater was stored in on-site ponds and treated using ion exchange before being discharged to the adjacent arroyo. i j >m- awwaiaiiMBBma—¦— Old Church Rock Mine site Removal Assessment Together, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Navajo Nation Environmental Agency (NNEPA) initiated a removal assessment at the Old Church Rock Mine in November 2022. Hie removal assessment includes gamma scans of surface soils, surface soil sampling, and background area studies. This removal assessment is scheduled to be completed in May 2023. Hie removal assessment will be used to evaluate whether the site poses an imminent and substantial danger to the surrounding community and whether a Time- Critical Removal Action (TCRA) is necessary. ------- KEEP OUT Ba'ha'dzid - Doo Ko'ne'na'adaa'da 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 NO Bulding^V f Gathering * 1 Playing I ^ Dieeine A AT IV1INES Contact Navajo Superfund Program JBf for Information at 1-800-314-1846 or USER A at 1 -800-231 -3075 Source: The source of the image is ESRI, used by the EPA with ESRI's permission. Date: December 21, 2022 I Colorado Map Area Reduce Your Contact with Uranium and Radiation X-X Fence ^eDS% ; Road Old Church Rock Mine % Q usstate VR0^° ------- |