Letters | Disposal of radioactive waste

Disposal of radioactive waste

Editor,
In the Navajo Times article titled, “Low-level uranium waste to be disposed near Dló’áyázhí”, Kianna Joe explains the U.S. EPA’s proposals to choose one of four options to dispose of uranium waste from Quivira, section 32 and 33 uranium mine sites, located in Eastern Navajo Nation: Standing Rock, Pinedale, Coyote Canyon, and Casamero Lake Chapter areas.

The four options under consideration by the EPA are: 1. Take no action; 2. Rearrange and cover waste on site; 3. Discard waste in a new disposal location; or 4. Withdraw waste to existing facility in Northern Colorado 500 miles away from the Navajo Nation.

Leona Morgan, a Diné organizer for “Haul No!”, an organization educating on the transportation and cleanup of uranium waste in the Southwest. She explains the Navajo people living in those communities can make cleanup possible if they get involved in the process with the U.S. EPA. It’s common for people to dismiss the voice of Navajo communities and concerns for their health and well-being, especially those who reside near the uranium mines.

According to Kianna Joe, she mentioned Steven Arviso, a Council delegate who resides in Iyanbito, west of Thoreau, New Mexico. He stated, “If you’re going to remove it, why just take it a few miles? Why not take it farther from the Navajo Nation.”

While the U.S. EPA tries to persuade the Navajo Nation to option three of their uranium waste clean-up proposals, there are concerns of time and budget management. I believe option four is the only alternative at this point. It’s an insult and disrespectful to even consider any of the first three disposal options suggested to the Navajo Nation. What is at stake here is the U.S. EPA’s disregard for the Navajo Nation and local Diné communities’ input on disposal options.

In conclusion, I truly believe option four is best as it would make no sense to use a newly built disposal site, located in Thoreau, New Mexico, which is still Navajo land. Common sense strongly suggests disposing uranium waste to the existing facility, located in Northern Colorado. In doing so, it will decrease the high rate of cancerous health issues on the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo Nation needs to take it in phases and set an agenda to how much funding should be used so the uranium waste gets disposed of properly off Navajo land.

In addition, the U.S. EPA needs to include Diné communities on all informed decisions pertaining to uranium waste cleanup, along with translators to effectively communicate with non-speaking English elders to find a solution of proper cleanup and disposal of uranium waste near Dló’áyázhí.

Stefen Tracey
Chinle, Ariz.

BIA does not satisfy ‘burden of proof’

Editor,
In 1991, BIA issued me two grazing permits in violation of 25 CFR 167.8(c); a person cannot have more than one permit. If it is not supported by law, why are they now disputing their wrongdoing 33 years later?

BIA decision to agree with District 17 Grazing Committee resolution to cancel my permit in 2019 is not justified. BIA Navajo Region continues its failure to uphold its mission statement: “The Bureau of Indian Affairs Navajo Region is committed to provide high quality services to customers in a timely and professional manner.” Jerome Willie and his supervisor at the Region had never met this commitment in 33 years.

This is continuation of complaints against BIA Navajo Region. Non-compliance of its mission statement and no response to client’s concern are problems by BIA for the public to know. BIA regional director continues declining response to my complaints. The director and his subordinate deputy director, Trust Services, keep rejecting reply to my complaints. Refusal to justify their decision to terminate my grazing program is program mismanagement. BIA has not met the burden of proof to cancel my permit without a court order as stipulated in 25 CFR 167.8(b).

There are many grazing permit holders and farmers caught in land dispute cases because BIA failed its trust responsibility. BIA created many grazing land disputes by not following its rules, policies, guidelines, and 25 CFR 167 grazing regulations. Region has done nothing to correct the problem. It is time Navajo Nation Council RDC Committee and Washington Office of Inspector General and Government Accountability Office to investigate and satisfy the American taxpayers.

In 2005, Region knew about the grazing permit program mismanagement when I asked Region to do program review of Fort Defiance Agency natural resource mismanagement and grazing permit program deficiencies. Region refused to take action; nor did they acknowledge receiving the request for action. Now, 19 years later, the dispute issue is in the media again.

Examples of program deficiencies. Jerome Willie and his boss, Calvert Curley, operates double standards: 1) allowing grazing permittees to have more than one permit in violation of 25 CFR 167.8(c); 2) allowing permits to be combined in 1986 and 2008; but denied my request to combine the two permits; 3) Interior Board of Indian Appeals turned back one Fort Defiance Agency grazing permit dispute case; stating BIA standards apply to everyone, equally and fairly, not to single out one grazing permittee; 4) Jerome Willie issued seven sheep unit grazing permit in violation of 25 CFR 167 that says no permit is to be issued less than 10 sheep unit; and 5) Jerome Willie failed to advise District 17 Grazing Committee that my grazing permit cannot be canceled without a court order per 25 CFR 167.8(b).

The manner in which I am being singled-out is discrimination, demoralizing, and unacceptable. Prove me wrong, Mr. Gregory Mehojah, BIA regional director, sir! The public needs to know the truth.

Nels Roanhorse
Oakridge, Ariz.

Declare tribal sovereignty

Editor,
The proposed uranium ore routes to transport across the Navajo Nation by the Biden administration and Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, is pending. Unprocessed hot, deadly ore from Pinyon Plain Mine, south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Across Indian Country today, mining has begun without tribal input and approval on their reservations. These are: Havasupai, Paiute, Shoshone, and Sioux land.

Secretary Haaland is behind the railroading through her policy to bypass tribal governments. In 2023, she smokescreen Navajo public hearings to approve Chaco Canyon’s 10-mile ratio 20-year band on oil and gas drilling, backstabbing local Navajo input justifying her position on her outside Pueblo peoples’ wishes. As a result, many local Navajos have lost their jobs.

Does Navajo president, tribal Council, and chapter officials have the guts to declare tribal sovereignty telling the U.S. government and Secretary Haaland no and get the hell off our land. It’s here, a clear danger to Arizona and New Mexico tribes. I have not heard any Navajo state legislator in Arizona and New Mexico speak against the proposed routes. Why? If they remain silent, AWOL/MIA recall for stronger leadership is proper and needed.

For myself, I cannot allow my people to be part of the Biden administration plans to sell processed weapon grade uranium to our enemies…China, Russia, India, Turkey, Iran, and other terrorist countries.

Under the so-called humanitarian aid policy, private corporations, U.S. federal government profits will be in billions of dollars. While we get crumbs, contaminated land, water, sickness, and no federal assistance to clean up damages. Are you willing to trust federal, state, private contractors this time?

Biden’s and Haaland’s promises for a better tomorrow. We’ve been used and lied too before. Weapon grade refined uranium is used to make nuclear bombs. Yes, getting ripped off again is for sure, right?

It’s un-American and treason aiding our enemies for their purpose to destroy American. Today’s Southwest open border has allowed thousands of well-trained professional terrorists, some with expert abilities and skills, to construct small dirty nuclear bombs only needing pure weapons grade uranium, which can be smuggled, stolen, or purchased through the black market.

Now is the time to rally, stand up, and speak as one voice, one strong united people. All 110 chapters close ranks submit resolutions against transporting uranium across our land. We’ve been down this road before, it’s the same old calvary. They will make billions of dollars and they do have other options for sure. Absolutely zero, no reason for us to put ourself at risk. They can easily go around our land, period. We cannot be the acceptable cost this time.

No amount of money can bring back the loss of family, livestock, clean water, and end radiation poison. Should something go wrong, exploitation from the federal government to Native American people must stop beginning here. Greed, profit backdoor-deals are in place for congressman and women in Washington, DC.

Local Indian activists, outside non-Indian environmental wackos we don’t need. Wearing their masks and hiding their identity. What the federal government fears the most today is a well-educated Indian. Let’s show them who we are.

In closing, this is one last gift to an old soldier to speak, stand up, and fight for my land, water, and resources for our future generations. This is my battlefield now.

Gary Bernally
Hogback, N.M.

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