Navajo Nation wary of new uranium mining

Friday, March 28, 2008  

Mining companies are once again looking at lands on and near the Navajo Nation for uranium development.

With the price of uranium at an all time high, companies say development could bring jobs and revenue to New Mexico. But Navajos and other former miners are wary of the health and environmental hazards.

Larry J. King worked in uranium mines for seven years. "We had no respirators; you'd have sweat running down your face with the uranium dust getting in your ears, nose and mouth," King told The Washington Post.

King now blames his health problems on uranium. Other Navajos say high rates of cancer and respiratory ailments are linked to mining and pollution from mining.

With over 1,000 abandoned sites on the reservation, the Navajo Nation has outlawed uranium mining.

Get the Story:
As Uranium Firms Eye N.M., Navajos Are Wary (The Washington Post 3/28)
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