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Site Assessment atSite Assessment atOld Old ChurchrockChurchrock Mine, Mine,ChurchrockChurchrock Chapter Chapter

Conducted by Staff of Navajo EPA-Conducted by Staff of Navajo EPA-Superfund Superfund Program and SRICProgram and SRICAug. 2, 2006Aug. 2, 2006following runoff in unnamed arroyo onfollowing runoff in unnamed arroyo on7/31/06 or 8/1/067/31/06 or 8/1/06

prepared by Chris prepared by Chris ShueyShuey, SRIC, SRIC8/21/06; rev. 9/15/06, 5/11/078/21/06; rev. 9/15/06, 5/11/07

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Site HistorySite History• Location: T16N, R16W, Sec. 17 (NE-1/4), McKinley

County, NM; Church Rock Chapter, Navajo Nation• Land Status: Navajo Tribal Trust surface, privately owned

mineral estate; active grazing on Sec. 17• 1959: Surface use agreement between Santa Fe Railway

and Navajo Tribe• 1960-62: Underground mine in Dakota SS, operated by

Phillips Petroleum Co.• 1977-1983: Underground mine in Westwater Canyon SS,

operated by United Nuclear Corp.• 1992-present: Proposed ISL mine, Hydro Resources, Inc.

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Cattle Canyon

Cattle Canyon

Unnamed arroyo onUnnamed arroyo onwest side of mine sitewest side of mine site

Old Church Rock Mine

SR 566

Area of mud flat afterArea of mud flat after8/1/06 flood event8/1/06 flood event

Old Churchrock Mine Site,Churchrock Chapter, Navajo Nation

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Evidence of Flood EventEvidence of Flood Event

Standing water, mud in arroyo

Corner fence postdislodged by flood

Mud flat at mouth of arroyo (here, below)

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Differences in SedimentDifferences in SedimentCharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Mine wastes, east side of arroyo (photo, upper right)– conglomeritic, gray-black color– white precipitate lenses on bank next to mine-water ponds

• Normal sediments, west bank of arroyo (photo, upper left)– ochre color, shaley

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Presence of Mine WastesPresence of Mine Wastes

Mining equipmentin arroyo next to

mine (left side)1 of 5 mine water pondsat OCRM site

Mine wasteon east side

of arroyo

Former uraniumworkers like ScottyBegay (left) havetestified aboutwaste disposalpractices at OCRM

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RadiologicalRadiologicalSurveySurvey• Reported by NNEPA-SF,

8/17/06• Background at mouth of

arroyo: 12-15 uR/hr• Gray-black material on

eastern arroyo bank, 50-75 uR/hr

• White precipitate inlayers on eastern bank,110-460 uR/hr

• West bank of arroyo: 20-30 uR/hr

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Old Old Churchrock Churchrock Mine site assessmentMine site assessmentAugust 2006August 2006

(Gamma radiation measurements made using Ludlum-19)(Gamma radiation measurements made using Ludlum-19)

Shaded area above approximate shape of muddelta at mouth of arroyo after flood event

Unnamed arroyo inSec. 8, T16N, R16W

Mining debris inarroyo: concrete,dirt, steel chute

Abandonedmine waterponds

420-460420-460 uR/hr

70-12070-120 uR/hr

15-3015-30 uR/hr

Sec. 9Sec. 8

Occupied home

King Grazing Permit Area(shaded)

Sealed mineshafts

Sec. 17 Sec. 16

Unnamed arroyo inSec. 17, T16N, R16W

Old Church Rock Mine Road

King Ranch (3occupied residences)

Section linesapproximate

State Route 566

IX building

• Max. 350350uR/hr in ‘87

• Max. 180180uR/hr in 2003

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Mining Debris in ArroyoMining Debris in Arroyo

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EnvironmentalEnvironmentalExposuresExposures

King GrazingPermit Area

HRI License AreaBoundary

Contour onbase of mesa

Old ChurchrockMine area

OCRM (Sec.17) mine waterponds

King Ranch,residences

Old Church Rock Mine(shaded oval, right;aerial below) in relationto King Ranch landsand homesites in yellowshaded area (right)

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Gamma rates>2x background(shown in red)indicatetransport ofresidual minewaste from OldChurch RockMine onto KingRanch land

CRUMPCRUMPGammaGammaRadiationRadiationAssessment,Assessment,20032003

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Epilogue:Epilogue:

Another Runoff Event, 9/6/06Another Runoff Event, 9/6/06

Arroyo was flowing (upper R and L) following afternoon stormon Sept. 6, 2006; mud flat at mouth of arroyo (bottom L)

measured about 300 m wide; 1-m wide boulder (bottom R) wasdeposited by early-August flood event.

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Epilogue II:Epilogue II:

New Radiological AssessmentNew Radiological Assessment

• Conducted by NNEPA-SF, March 2007 (photo)

• Navajo Nation concernedabout NRC’s decision in2006 reclassifying wastesat OCRM as“background radiation”

• Reclamation in limbo