Between 1946 and 1986, the Navajo Nation was the location of intensive uranium mining operations that supported U.S. nuclear arms and energy programs. While nuclear programs championed a futuristic energy source, Navajo communities increasingly confronted the ecological and health risks associated with uranium mining. From radioactive materials to waste runoff, citizens of the Navajo Nation have confronted the toxic legacies of uranium mining for decades. They have suffered the environmental and health effects of an industry central to futuristic technologies from nuclear arms to civilian energy stations.
Tribe members have long pushed back against the ecological, health, and cultural effects of uranium mining. Major contamination incidents like the 1979 Church Rock uranium mill spill have introduced toxins into Navajo environments that continue to create long-lasting health complications for those exposed. Groups like Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (Diné CARE), founded in 1988, have helped lobby for compensation for those affected by uranium mining. Today, Navajo and other environmental activists are still fighting to protect their communities from the mining companies transporting uranium through reservation lands.
Citation:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Abandoned Uranium Mines on or Near Navajo Nations. Map. March 30, 2016.
Library Item Date:
March 30, 2016