Crownpoint Uranium Mining

GALLUP Plans by Hydro Resources, Inc. to leach-mine uranium ore from the Crownpoint water table got the go-ahead Tuesday from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "It was pretty much what we expected,'' Mark Pelizza, an HRI public information officer, said Wednesday. He described it as a standard NRC mining license. But Mitchell Capitan, leader of a local group opposed to the mining, said HRI still has more obstacles to overcome before mining can begin. "A lot of people in our community are thinking the opposition of the mining has lost their fight, that the mining is going to go on,'' Mitchell said. "I feel like it's not really over yet. There's still some things that need to be done.'' The commission issued Texas-based HRI a license to begin construction on three sites in Crownpoint and Church Rock, with certain conditions.

Before HRI begins mining, it must:

• Obtain necessary permits, including permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Utah.
  
  
• Reach agreements with local authorities, fire departments, medical facilities and other emergency services for emergency incident response.
  
  
• Replace the existing water supply wells used by the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  
  
• Complete designs for wastewater management ponds.
  
  
• Establish an NRC-approved financial surety arrangement to ensure adequate funds for site decommissioning, reclamation and groundwater restoration at the end of the project's life.

The mining process uses oxygenated water to dissolve uranium in a layer of sand 2,000 feet below the town. Local public opinion has strongly opposed the mining, fearing that it will pollute the town's water supply. In a safety report, issued in December, the NRC concluded that the license will not conflict with the public health and safety if the above conditions were met. That decision was based on an earlier environmental impact statement. Mitchell, president of Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has yet to issue a permit to allow the injection wells. Another issue confronting HRI is "Indian Country '' _ tribal jurisdiction over the Church Rock site. At a mid-December meeting, the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority passed a resolution opposing moving the water wells and opposing the mining. Mitchell was also puzzled by the reference to the State of Utah in the press release. "I think there's a lot of things being said from NRC and HRI to make it look rosy,'' he said.

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