Episode Details

The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency is implementing high-pressure slurry ablation technology at the Old Church Rock Mine in New Mexico, aiming to excavate around six thousand cubic yards of uranium waste. This method, which uses water to separate radioactive materials from soil, has shown promising results in earlier studies, reducing uranium and radium levels by over ninety percent. However, the project faces opposition from community members and environmentalists who argue that it is a form of extraction disguised as cleanup, and that it may leave radium and other decay products behind. The project also allows Disa Technologies to test the technology on a larger scale, recycling most of the water used. A background study is ongoing to determine the cleanliness standards for the soil, with the goal of removing the worst-contaminated soil to a licensed facility. This initiative could pave the way for addressing more Navajo uranium sites, but it raises questions about whether it is true healing or simply moving the problem elsewhere.

Support the show:
Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
advertise@thednn.ai

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai.

View sources & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/ae2a65b240b9450a