EPA and Navajo Nation Select Cleanup Plan to Remove Waste at Quivira Mines Site

EPA and Navajo Nation Select Cleanup Plan to Remove Waste at Quivira Mines Site

January 7, 2025

San Francisco- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Navajo Nation, has finalized a plan to address the release of radionuclides and metals at the Quivira Mines site in the Navajo Nation near Gallup, New Mexico. EPA's plan includes removing uranium mine waste rock from the three areas of the site and transporting it to a newly created off-site repository at the Red Rocks Landfill property east of Thoreau, New Mexico. This removal action process will begin in early 2025 and continue for 6-8 years, including permitting, construction, operation, and closure of the new disposal repository. This action for the Quivira Mines site is one of many actions the EPA is working on with the Navajo Nation and the states of Arizona and New Mexico to address risks from uranium mine waste. These solutions include off-Navajo disposal options in addition to consolidation of waste on the Navajo Nation.

"This decision will remove over 1 million cubic yards of waste that has haunted the Red Water Pond Road and Pipeline Road communities for too long," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "These cleanup efforts will pave the way for these two Diné communities to fully - and safely - utilize this land."

"This solution is a compromise that will get radioactive waste in this area off of the Navajo Nation as soon as possible," said Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. "It's not everything the three affected communities would wish for but it's action in the right direction now rather than in the future. Most importantly, this will protect our people from harmful exposure. I greatly appreciate Administrator Guzman's continued compassion and attention to the Navajo Nation after decades of having the legacy of uranium contamination ignored."

The announcement today also addresses concerns expressed by the States of Arizona and New Mexico. In 2024, the state governors urged the Federal government to "bring national attention" to the issue of uranium pollution and to "undertake a full and complete cleanup and restoration of our land and water." The decision announced today will provide for a complete cleanup of one of the largest and high-risk uranium mine sites on the Navajo Nation.

"In partnership, federal, sovereign, and state governments can make a difference in the health outcomes for residents of the Navajo Nation and New Mexicans," said Secretary for the New Mexico Environment Department James Kenney. "This action is the result of EPA's grit, determination, and unwavering commitment to address the longstanding risks for communities impacted by uranium mining wastes."

"This important action responds directly to concerns I have personally heard from state and tribal leaders, and from members of impacted communities," said Cliff Villa, EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management. "For too long, Indigenous people of the Southwest have been disproportionately affected by the legacy of uranium mining, posing significant threats to their health and environment. This cleanup, in coordination with Navajo Nation and the State of New Mexico, will permanently address the contamination at the Quivira Mines site and ensure safe disposal to safeguard future generations."

EPA has been conducting community engagement activities related to investigation and cleanup actions at the site for more than 10 years. This outreach sought to understand community concerns and to inform the communities of EPA's basis for the removal action and gain community acceptance, where possible. Communities impacted by the Quivira Mines site include the Red Water Pond Road and Pipeline Road communities in the Coyote Canyon and Standing Rock Chapters of the Navajo Nation. EPA's selected cleanup plan will remove all mine waste rock from the impacted communities.

The planned action seeks to address approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of waste across three areas of waste disposal at the site:

• Church Rock-1 (CR-1) comprising approximately 42 acres and 929,000 cubic yards;
• Church Rock-1 (CR-1E) East comprising approximately 10.5 acres and 50,400 cubic yards; and
• Kerr McGee Ponds comprising approximately 9 acres and 14,300 cubic yards.

The mine waste rock consists of broken rocks, dirt, and sand containing natural radioactive and non-radioactive metals-waste left by the mining companies with too little uranium to be transported to and recovered at nearby mills. Mill tailings are not included in the mine waste.

The State of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, will review the permit applications submitted by the facility operator, the Northwest New Mexico Regional Solid Waste Authority. If found sufficient and following a public review and comment period, they will issue permits to oversee construction, operation, closure, and long-term environmental monitoring and maintenance of the new waste repository. NMED will oversee the long-term monitoring in perpetuity.

Background

The Quivira Mines are an inactive uranium mine operation located northeast of Gallup, New Mexico. Commercial exploration, development, and mining of uranium at Quivira Mines began in the late 1960s by the Kerr-McGee Corporation and then the Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation. Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation later changed its name to the Quivira Mining Company, which was later sold to the predecessor company of Rio Algom Mining LLC.

Mining continued until 1986, recovering an estimated 1.3 million tons of uranium ore from CR-1 and CR-1E mine shafts. The uranium ore body is located approximately 1,500 to 1,800 feet below ground and accessed via vertical mine shafts at the CR-1 and CR-1E locations. The mine workings were within an aquifer containing groundwater and were therefore referred to as "wet mines," which required ongoing dewatering during operations. Water was pumped from the underground mine workings and discharged to as many as seven treatment and settling ponds before being discharged to Unnamed Arroyo #2 and the Pipeline Canyon Arroyo. The Quivira Mine sites accounted for approximately 2-4% of all historic uranium mining in New Mexico.

For more information, visit EPA's Quivira Mineswebpage.

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