275:, Inc., entered into a settlement agreement for the cleanup of 94 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation. The settlement was valued at over $ 600 million, with the United States, on behalf of the Department of Interior and Department of Energy, contributing $ 335 million into a trust account for the cleanup.
191:
until 2002. Currently (April 7, 2014), there are 12 uranium mines that are either in the process of licensing or actively developing in New Mexico. The state has the second-largest known uranium ore reserves in the US. As of 1983, these included 201,000 tons of uranium oxide, amounting to 35% of
286:) left 250 million tons of radioactive mill waste in New Mexico which contaminated groundwater and released radon gas. The waste continued to pose a health threat in 2022, and Barrick Gold was attempting to buy out residents' homes and pass responsibility for cleanup to the federal government.
225:
Strathmore
Minerals Corp. is currently applying for permits to mine their Church Rock and Roca Honda properties in the Grants Mineral Belt. Neutron Energy and URI also reportedly plan to start uranium mining in the Grants belt.
953:
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uranium mining districts. Most of the uranium ore is contained in the
Jackpile, Poison Canyon, and Westwater Canyon sandstone members of the
948:
388:
1114:
1109:
905:
788:
67:
1104:
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at 3,000 feet (900 m) below ground surface. The mine, which operated as an underground uranium mine from 1986 to 1989, has a remaining
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700:
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219:
160:
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235:
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125:
I never knew where all the crooks from East Texas went until I got into the uranium business and they all turned up again
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mined circa 1920 from former silver mines in the White Signal district, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of
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279:
156:
96:
counties in the northwest part of the state. Stretching northwest to southeast, the mineral belt contains the
55:
556:
252:, whose reservation contains much of the known ore deposits, declared a moratorium on uranium mining in 2005.
347:
Granger, H.C. and others, "Sandstone-type uranium deposits at
Ambrosia Lake, New Mexico-an interim report,"
812:
51:
915:
535:
199:
143:
Several different companies moved into the region in the 1950s, particularly oil companies. They included
1052:
1024:
263:
on July 16, 1979, remains the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history. In May 2007, the
454:
428:
240:
New Mexico uranium miners from the 1940s and 1950s have had abnormally high rates of lung cancer, from
1099:
984:
794:
203:
172:
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1129:
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near the Church Rock mine. In 2017, the EPA, the Navajo Nation, and two affiliated subsidiaries of
168:
396:
215:
164:
113:
109:
101:
477:
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continued to recover uranium dissolved in water from its flooded underground mine workings at
999:
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97:
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gas in poorly ventilated underground mines. The effect was particularly pronounced among
195:
89:
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85:
77:
739:"$ 600 Million Settlement to Clean Up 94 Abandoned Uranium Mines on the Navajo Nation"
1144:
989:
249:
245:
188:
105:
73:
607:
151:, Rio de Oro Uranium Mines, Inc, Kermac Nuclear Fuels Corporation (a cooperative of
1057:
994:
629:
McLemore, Virginia T.; Hill, Brad; Khalsa, Niranjan; Lucas Kamat, Susan A. (2013).
283:
256:
362:
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miners, because the incidence of lung cancer is normally low among
Navajos. The
22:
was a significant industry from the early 1950s until the early 1980s. Although
72:
New Mexico was a significant uranium producer since the discovery of uranium by
1009:
1004:
332:
Uranium deposits of the Grants mineral belt: geochemical constraints on origin
131:
47:
23:
1119:
211:
184:
516:
631:"Uranium resources in the Grants uranium district, New Mexico: An update"
427:. Oklahoma Historical Society / Oklahoma State University. Archived from
222:
estimated by its owner at more than 45 thousand tonnes of uranium oxide.
117:
43:
267:(EPA) announced that it would join the Navajo Nation EPA in cleaning up
27:
557:"Uranium industry inNew Mexicohistory, productiofl, and present statu"
171:, San Jacinto Petroleum Corporation, Lisbon Uranium Corporation, and
155:, Anderson Development Corporation, and Pacific Uranium Mines, Inc),
316:
303:
585:
241:
804:
42:
The first uranium production in New Mexico was a minor amount of
741:. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 17 January 2018
808:
717:"EPA to begin soil cleanup at five properties on Navajo Nation"
453:. Energy Information Administration. 2005-10-09. Archived from
530:
McLemore, Virginia (2007). "Uranium resources in New Mexico".
338:, Denver: Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, p.337-352.
192:
total U.S. reserves, economically recoverable at $ 50 per lb.
183:
Active uranium mining stopped in New Mexico in 1998, although
719:. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1 May 2007
80:
in 1950. Almost all uranium in New Mexico is found in the
34:), no uranium ore has been mined in New Mexico since 1998.
336:
Exploration
Frontiers of the Central and Southern Rockies
672:"Navajos mark 20th anniversary of Church Rock spill",
30:
ore reserves of any state in the United States (after
638:
New Mexico
Geological Society Field Conference Series
1033:
962:
931:
842:
954:List of inquiries into uranium mining in Australia
762:"A community sacrificed to uranium mine pollution"
693:Yellow Dirt: A Poisoned Land and a People Betrayed
364:Secret Riches: Adventures of an Unreformed Oilman
517:"New Uranium Mining Projects - New Mexico, USA"
123:
820:
8:
1020:List of Nuclear-Free Future Award recipients
425:Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
1088:Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act
1083:Anti-nuclear movement in the United States
827:
813:
805:
760:Olalde, Mark; Miller, Maya (2022-08-23).
539:
315:
608:"Strathmore Minerals Corp. - Roca Honda"
478:"Uranium Mining Resources in New Mexico"
944:List of countries by uranium production
294:
116:, and in the Todilto limestone, all of
214:in the Westwater Canyon member of the
949:List of countries by uranium reserves
555:McLemore, Virginia T. (August 1983).
16:Uranium mining industry in New Mexico
7:
1115:The Navajo People and Uranium Mining
1110:History of the anti-nuclear movement
789:The Navajo People and Uranium Mining
304:"Radioactive Deposits of New Mexico"
265:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
68:Uranium mining and the Navajo people
1156:Uranium mining in the United States
1105:International Uranium Film Festival
1068:Nuclear power in the United States
586:"Rio Grande Resources Corporation"
26:has the second largest identified
14:
1063:Botanical prospecting for uranium
610:. Strathmore Minerals Corp. 2012
502:Kamat,S.A. Lucas. "New Mexico,"
389:"Atomic Energy: Uranium Jackpot"
367:. Gondolier Press. p. 69.
230:Health and environmental issues
161:United Western Minerals Company
1125:1974 Elliot Lake miners strike
1073:Church Rock uranium mill spill
476:McLemore, V. (February 2007).
261:Church Rock uranium mill spill
236:Church Rock uranium mill spill
84:along the south margin of the
1:
308:US Geological Survey Bulletin
395:. 1957-09-30. Archived from
330:Brookins, Douglas G. (1977)
202:is currently evaluating its
167:), J H Whitney and Company,
159:, Sabre-Pinion Corporation,
20:Uranium mining in New Mexico
695:. Free Press. p. 149.
1177:
1078:Sequoyah Fuels Corporation
1043:Uranium in the environment
233:
149:Phillips Petroleum Company
65:
800:Mount Taylor (New Mexico)
351:, Nov. 1961, p.1179-1210.
269:radioactive contamination
210:. Uranium is present in
153:Kerr-McGee Oil Industries
1094:The Return of Navajo Boy
1015:Floyd Red Crow Westerman
939:List of uranium projects
691:Pasternak, Judy (2010).
280:Homestake Mining Company
259:failure that caused the
157:Homestake Mining Company
588:. General Atomics. 2012
302:Lovering, T.G. (1956).
409:(lists many companies)
361:Masters, John (2004).
127:
1151:Geology of New Mexico
1053:Uranium mining debate
1025:World Uranium Hearing
38:White Signal district
1161:Mining in New Mexico
1100:Nuclear labor issues
857:Kakadu National Park
795:Anaconda, New Mexico
483:. SME Annual Meeting
451:"Shiprock Mill Site"
200:Rio Grande Resources
173:Superior Oil Company
169:White Weld & Co.
1130:Yellowcake boomtown
399:on October 19, 2011
206:for development by
82:Grants mineral belt
62:Grants mineral belt
564:New Mexico Geology
532:SME Annual Meeting
506:, May 2006, p.107.
504:Mining Engineering
216:Morrison Formation
165:Patrick Jay Hurley
114:Morrison Formation
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678:Prescott, Arizona
674:The Daily Courier
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1000:Yvonne Margarula
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290:Cited references
273:Freeport-McMoRan
208:in-situ leaching
179:Current activity
145:Anaconda Company
139:
134:, quoted in
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421:"Nuclear Power"
419:O'Dell, Larry.
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204:Mt. Taylor Mine
196:General Atomics
181:
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138:by John Masters
130:Dean McGee, of
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86:San Juan Basin
78:Paddy Martinez
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662:Kamat, p.103.
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457:on 2009-10-16
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431:on 2010-07-27
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189:Ambrosia Lake
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136:Secret Riches
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106:Ambrosia Lake
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1058:Peak uranium
995:Scott Ludlam
910:
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769:. Retrieved
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743:. Retrieved
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721:. Retrieved
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493:(re: Kermac)
485:. Retrieved
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466:(re: Kermac)
459:. Retrieved
455:the original
445:
440:(re: Kermac)
433:. Retrieved
429:the original
424:
414:
401:. Retrieved
397:the original
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284:Barrick Gold
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257:tailings dam
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250:Navajo tribe
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163:(of General
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128:
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76:sheepherder
71:
56:Grant County
41:
19:
18:
874:Elliot Lake
766:www.hcn.org
745:November 4,
648:29 December
570:29 December
534:. 07–1112.
52:Silver City
1145:Categories
1010:Sun Xiaodi
1005:JoAnn Tall
963:Opposition
911:New Mexico
881:Kazakhstan
844:By country
771:2023-06-15
723:August 17,
614:August 17,
592:August 17,
461:2009-10-02
435:2009-10-02
234:See also:
132:Kerr-McGee
66:See also:
48:torbernite
24:New Mexico
1120:Hibakusha
985:Jim Green
852:Australia
644:(117–126)
536:CiteSeerX
487:3 October
403:7 October
278:In 1958,
212:coffinite
185:Rio Algom
1036:articles
901:Colorado
869:Bancroft
782:See also
220:resource
118:Jurassic
90:McKinley
44:autunite
921:Wyoming
896:Arizona
886:Namibia
32:Wyoming
28:uranium
1034:Other
864:Canada
699:
538:
371:
246:Navajo
110:Laguna
108:, and
102:Gallup
98:Chuska
94:Cibola
74:Navajo
932:Lists
634:(PDF)
560:(PDF)
481:(PDF)
334:, in
242:radon
120:age.
916:Utah
747:2018
725:2012
697:ISBN
650:2021
616:2012
594:2012
572:2021
566:: 50
489:2009
405:2009
393:Time
369:ISBN
255:The
92:and
46:and
312:doi
88:in
54:in
1147::
764:.
676:,
642:64
640:.
636:.
562:.
423:.
391:.
306:.
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58:.
828:e
821:t
814:v
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596:.
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544:.
519:.
491:.
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320:.
314::
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