10th Circuit Says Churchrock Navajo Land

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the decision of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior that the Churchrock Section 8 uranium project is located in Indian Country and is part of the Navajo Nation.  

The decision means that the Texas based company that wants to operate an underground injection uranium mine there will have to obtain its underground injection control permit from EPA rather the New Mexico Department of the Environment.  

The Navajo Nation enacted a ban on uranium mining and milling in April 2005. 

The 10th Circuit decisions also may apply to other uranium mining states, including Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Read more here.

Federal agencies coordinate clean up of Navajo uranium mines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the Department of Energy, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, recently finalized a five-year plan for cleaning up the legacy of abandoned uranium mining on the Navajo Nation.

The plan, titled, "Health and Environmental Impacts of Uranium Contamination in the Navajo Nation, Five-Year Plan," is the first coordinated approach created by the five federal agencies. This landmark plan details the strategy and timeline for cleanup over the next five years.