Uranium Contamination in the Navajo Nation: Background & Cleanup Efforts

Four million tons of uranium ore were extracted from mines on the Navajo reservation primarily for developing the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. For over 30 years, the Navajo people have lived with the environmental and health effects of uranium contamination from this mining. In 2008, five federal agencies adopted a 5-year plan that identified targets for addressing contaminated abandoned mines, structures, water sources, former processing sites, and other sites. Federal agencies also provide funding to Navajo Nation agencies to assist with the cleanup work. This book examines the extent to which the agencies achieved the targets set in the 5-year plan and the reasons why or why not; what is known about the future scope of work, time frames, and costs; and any key challenges faced by the agencies in completing this work and any opportunities to overcome them.