INTERVIEWS
Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill, Church Rock, NM - April 19, 2023
Larry King was working at the uranium mill when United Nuclear Corporation’s tailings pond in Church Rock breached its dam and 94 million gallons of toxic waste leaked into the Puerco River which runs along his family’s property line. This was the largest uranium tailings spill in recorded U.S. history. Communities living along the Puerco River and surrounding areas have lost loved ones, livestock, and access to clean water. There have been no studies on the health impacts, and those impacted have not received any form of compensation. Uranium miners, who were exposed to radiation and developed cancer after the Federal Government's uranium procurement for atomic weapons ended in 1971, are currently not eligible to receive benefits from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
Uranium Remediation and Nuclear Colonialism in the Southwest - March 28, 2023
Leona Morgan, Haul No! Co-Founder/Organizer, discusses the urgency of uranium remediation and the importance of educating effected communities about the dangers of uranium mining.
Addressing the Climate Crisis - April 18, 2023
In this interview we address the climate crisis and renewable energy options with executive director of New Energy Economy, Mariel Nanasi.
Epidemiology and Uranium Mining - March 29, 2023
In this interview we discuss epidemiology and the long term effects of uranium mining with Chris Shuey, Director of Southwest Research and Information Center.
Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment - March 29, 2023
Susan Gordon breaks down the 5 groups that have been contaminated by uranium mining and how they have come together to form an alliance.
Uranium Tailings at Lake Ambrosia - January 19, 2022
Phillips Mill Site, a demolished uranium mill and its radioactive tailings (active from 1958 to1982), Lake Ambrosia, New Mexico. Captured by Matthew Betlej.
Children and Their Exposure to Uranium Mining on the Navajo Reservation - November 07, 2021
Interview with Dr. Karina Roessel, Principal of T'iis Nazbas Community School of the Bureau of Indian Education, shares her experience of working with children with disabilities as a result of being exposed to uranium mining.
Teec Nos Pos, Arizona.
Dr. Karina Roessel is the prinicpal of T'iis Nazbas Community School, Teec Nos Pos, Arizona.
Uranium Miners Compensation - November 08, 2021
Interview with DeWayne Johnson, Navajo Uranium Workers Case Manager, discusses the struggle to access compensation for miners exposed to uranium.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're very lucky.
DeWayne Johnson (00:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Okay. So I'm just curious to know, if you could introduce yourself and tell me your name and position, and kind of what you've experienced with this position and what the work involves with uranium miners coming here. What are the problems, how do you try and resolve them?
DeWayne Johnson (00:30):
My name is DeWayne Johnson. I'm a program manager with the Navajo Uranium Workers Program here, and I've been here exactly one year right now. And our primary function here is to help former Navajo miners or their surviving family members, you know, the, uh, submit- or, help them, um, submit enrollment packages to the federal government, the RECA, Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and, and try to help them, um, obtain that monetary compensation through that federal program, or through that federal act.
DeWayne Johnson (01:09):
So that's primarily our basic function. We don't do any counseling or we don't do any type of, of referrals and all that. However, you know, the, we make efforts to try to, uh, get, um, help as many Navajos as possible. The main challenge right here, right now that we are facing is, a majority of the former miners have passed on, and many of them have been compensated.
DeWayne Johnson (01:35):
And right now, we're primarily focused on down winders. I think, um, uh, the, the current, uh, RECA act only limits the down winders to certain areas. So, um, with that said, you know, with the RECA amendment, I'm sure that's what will probably open more doors for future miners or, um, some of those families or people who live near some of these test sites, some of these uranium mines and stuff like that.
DeWayne Johnson (02:00):
So, um, I'm not, uh, sure what the status is on the, um, on the progress of that, uh, RECA amendment. It's a, it's a huge task, you know, so of course it was introduced by Senator Ben Ray Lujan, New Mexico democrat. So, um, we have yet to hear back. So I'm sure they're making, uh, um, strides and I'm sure they're working hard to get this thing moving.
DeWayne Johnson (02:27):
Um, so, uh, with that said, you know, so there are some surviving families out there. However, you know, the, it is, uh, somewhat of a challenge because of the pandemic and all that. So, you know, the, we try to reach out. Just like tomorrow, we're gonna be on the radio from KTNN Radio again to try to explain and encourage Navajos, uh, to, um, apply again and reactivate some of their file that they, uh, submitted before.
DeWayne Johnson (02:56):
A lot of them, uh, maybe a lot of them, I'm not sure exactly that are writing them out. But some of the files have, um, uh, been sitting there and they haven't, uh, I think they got denied one time. But, you know, through this program, if you get denied one time, you have another chance, another shot. And if you get, uh, denied the second time, um, we can, you know, certainly help them and review the case file, see what chances there are. Even just a small, uh, compensation would be helpful the third time.
DeWayne Johnson (03:26):
But after the third time, I think it's, uh, pretty much a, a closed, a closed deal by then. But you know, and a lot of these, um, clients I think they've applied maybe once. Uh, and then they just kind of just let it, uh, let it go. But we're trying to encourage them to try it again. You never know. Because there's... some flexibility has been applied to some of the stipulations and some of the stricti- you know, restrictions that the federal government put on, you know, some of these, um, um application processing.
DeWayne Johnson (03:57):
So, and then there's another one, too, which is, um, with the ABN health services. And that's the, um, what they call the executor of the estate, you know. So you have to get a court order in order for a surviving family to, uh, or a widow to obtain medical records of the deceased miner.
DeWayne Johnson (04:15):
So that is very expensive, you know, to get a... And there's no guarantee that, you know, um, they will get the executor of the state, only until then will peop- IHS release some medical records. But, you know, negotiations and, and, um, and some talks are happening as we are here today, you know, between IHS area office and federal government to maybe help some of these families, you know, obtain some of these medical records through just uh, you know, various, uh, um, proof of, you know, identification and stuff like that.
DeWayne Johnson (04:49):
So we'll see how that goes. But you know, the, that has been a, a huge hurdle for some of the surviving families as well. So, um, that's, that's where we're at right now, so, um, hopefully I answered most of your questions, so. And that's about, that's about all.
Coal Mining and Displacement - July 30, 2021
Aunt Jennie talks about coal mining displacement in Tse Bonito, Arizona.
The foundation of the land my aunt Jennie was raised on in Tse Bonito, New Mexico.
Looking out towards land acquired by the McKinley Mine from tribal land in Tse Bonito, New Mexico.
Jennie Yazzie walks down the old road from her childhood home that was covered in mounds of gravel by the McKinley Coal Mine in order to prevent her family from returning to their land in Tse Bonito, New Mexico.
Looking down from the mesa where relatives once lived before the McKinley Coal Mine relocated residents in the early 70’s in Tse Bonito, New Mexico.