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SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $65 million contract to help in the long-term project to cleanup hundreds of abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation.
Under the contract, Tetra Tech will investigate mine sites, analyze possible cleanup options, provide technical support to the EPA and support EPA efforts to coordinate with and report results to the Navajo government, Navajo communities and other members of the public.
More than 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from the Navajo Nation and adjacent lands during the Cold War — a practice that left over 500 abandoned mine sites.
The five-year contract is the second that the EPA has awarded to address public health and environmental risks from the abandoned mines. The first contract allowed the EPA to oversee work at over 240 mine sites and develop a Navajo-specific risk assessment calculator.
Thus far, the EPA has paid out $1.7 billion in agreements and settlements to reduce the highest risks of radiation and heavy metals exposure to Navajo members. The Navajo Nation coordinates closely with federal agencies on cleanup efforts.
"With this new contract EPA will be driving forward our close cooperation with Navajo Nation on reducing the risks of radiation exposure from abandoned mines," Martha Guzman, Pacific Southwest regional EPA administrator, said in a statement. "The funds will also support jobs and other training opportunities for the Navajo people, working to address the legacy of contamination from former mines to protect future generations."
Tetra Tech will also continue to partner with Navajo Technical University and local businesses to train Navajo tribal members in professional assessment and cleanup work positions to better handle abandoned mines. The company has also committed to using services and supplies from Navajo-owned businesses to help boost the local economy and create jobs.
