Throughout the West, particularly on tribal land, abandoned open pit uranium mines continue to emit radiation and toxic heavy metal dust into the air, land and water. These pit mines were created during the cold war frenzy when the Atomic Energy Commission stated that it would buy all of the uranium that could be mined. Corporations such as Kerr-McGee and Atlantic Richfield as well as local ranchers jumped on the chance to make money. When they were done, the pits were left behind with no remediation. The radiation and toxic heavy metals from the mine contaminate the food supply as livestock drink polluted water and plants grown in contaminated soil. People who live near the mines experience many health effects including high rates of cancer deaths and birth defects. You can read more about this in our article, “America’s Secret Fukushima Poisoning the Breadbasket of the World.” It’s time to demand that these mines. – Margaret Flowers
VIDEO: Clean Up Abandoned Uranium Mines – Urgent Message From First Nations
People of the First Nations know first hand the effects of Uranium Mining. Charmaine White Face and Defenders of the Black Hills have written a bill that Congressman Raul Grijalva is presenting to Congress. In this video, Charmaine, Lakota from The Great Sioux Nation, Don Yellowman, Dine’ from Navajo Nation and Anna Rondon, Dine’ from Navajo Nation, talk about the effects of uranium on their people and why we need to join this urgent battle and stop all uranium mining.