Navajo Council Delegate Danny Simpson urged Resources & Development Committee’s Subcommittee to go to Council before negotiating with URI for demonstration In-Situ Uranium Mining project near Church Rock, N.M., during meeting at tribal Economic Development Division in St. Michaels, Ariz., on April 30, 2014. Photo by Marley Shebala.
Pelizza claimed that the former uranium mining tailings pile is covered with pebbles and so there is no spreading of tailings Navajo EPA immediately discounted Pelizza’s claim by describing how strong winds are in the area, which is near Church Rock, N.M.
DELEGATE DANNY SIMPSON
To me what is happening is negotiations and that is not right. This needs to go to Council, this agreement. before any further actions or agreement, the Council needs to approve but Delegate Apachito will go forward with his legislation.
DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
I would ask for all information, especially report on Cleanup of Section 17, to be released to public and tribal attorneys. If not being shared, what is this? I strongly advice attorneys and Navajo EPA to be careful on what is decided cuz you have to answer to supervisors.
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON LEONARD TSOSIE
actually if we were to give to Council, I would not kow what to give them. for me, i’m learning a lot on how they are doing it and I wud be somewhat ignorant at council. i wud rather we study and then answer at council. i said before that this is going to Naabik’iyate and then Council rather then getting chewed out for being unable to answer questions. I keep asking how soon wrap this up because RDC chairperson katherine benally is getting impatient. yesterday URI and Navajo Justice Department met on that information. and NDOJ asked to release to public but Pelizza said that after his presentation now that there might not be a need for it to be released.
DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
I want URI to challenge book now. you say we need to have all ducks in row but can’t without that book. what is in that book?
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
we will release after URI and NEPA technical people discus report before goes to public and it gets misunderstood.
URI PRESIDENT/CEO CHRISTOPHER M. JONES
need to keep report confidential was to make report. there is no need to keep it confidential.
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON LEONARD TSOSIE
Let it be known that the report has been given to Delegate Yazzie.
DELEGATES DANNY SIMPSON AND EDMUND YAZZIE SAID THAT THEY PLAN TO SCAN THE URI REPORT ON THE CLEANUP OF SECTION 17 AND EMAIL IT TO ME. YAH!!
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
We sampled land and water associated with United Nuclear Corporations uranium tailings pond spill, which we heard about “over and over and over again.”
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON LEONARD TSOSIE
So you are saying that we have uranium naturally coming out.
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
There is place in Dakota formation on outcrop north into the stream.
NAVAJO EPA DIRECTOR STEPHEN ETSITTY
Say on background, that we have worked with other corporations on background standards.
We have health assessments and other studies regarding kidney diseases and the Birth Cohort Study. If we were to ask and get comprehensive study and funding, it would take years. These smaller studies are also informative. Slowly all these pieces coming together on understanding health correlations from radioactive exposure, including people who used uranium waster to build homes.
We have much more information then we had ten years ago.
We could also work with URI on health study specifically in their area.
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
I know of one risk assessment and they came up with number higher then federal standards. So hope risk assessment uses data that is not really low or really high.
NEPA
We speak for health assessment from community people who are concerned about herbs, livestock.
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON LEONARD TSOSIE
What wud be cost for just that Church Rock area.
NAVAJO EPA DIRECTOR ETSITTY
$300,000 to just start.
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON LEONARD TSOSIE
That’s chump change to Chris.
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
We cud work with NEPA on understanding health risk assessments. If we do health study, we are also talking about time. The birth cohort study probably involves 20 years.
NAVAJO EPA DIRECTOR ETSITTY
Birth cohort is three year study.
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
I would prefer small group of NEPA and URI technical team.
NEPA
we already conceded with US EPA and that there is better method and what used was . we want to use most conservative because we are concerned about the people.
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON TSOSIE
We are suppose to report back to RDC on May 13 and so I propose May 12 meeting.
This meeting might be out in Church Rock because of Delegate Edmund Yazzie’s request. But that’s just a suggestion.
And I’d like URI presentation on Cleanup/Remediation in layman’s terms.
To take off map but to guarantee to Crownpoint that there never be mining there and to give to Navajo Nation.
URI PRESIDENT/CEO CHRISTOPHER M. JONES
Crownpoint is on the table for negotiations.
NAVAJO EPA
Whenever URI hired Navajo interpreter, that interpreter needs to be unbiased.
URI VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MARK S. PELIZZA
Recommend a Navajo interpreter but remember that this process is very technical.
COMMUNITY MEMBER LEONA MORGAN
i requested to make a presentation and not comment and I want equal time as URI. But here is a copy of my presentation.
Dine Forgotten People, Eastern Navajo Dine’s Against Uranium Mining, and five other groups that should be placed on the Subcommittee agenda for its May 12 meeting.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING HAS ADJOURNED
