University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Public Administration ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 9-1-2015 THE LEGACY URANIUM MINING AND MILLING CLEANUP PLAN: EVALUATION OF THE EPA FIVE-YEAR PLAN, GRANTS MINING DISTRICT, NEW MEXICO Earle Dixon Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/padm_etds Recommended Citation Dixon, Earle. "THE LEGACY URANIUM MINING AND MILLING CLEANUP PLAN: EVALUATION OF THE EPA FIVE- YEAR PLAN, GRANTS MINING DISTRICT, NEW MEXICO." (2015). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/padm_etds/8 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Public Administration ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i Earle Campbell Dixon Candidate Public Administration Department This thesis is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Thesis Committee: Dr. Uday Desai, Chairperson Dr. Bruce Thomson Mr. Eric Jantz ii THE LEGACY URANIUM MINING AND MILLING CLEANUP PLAN: EVALUATION OF THE EPA FIVE-YEAR PLAN, GRANTS MINING DISTRICT, NEW MEXICO By EARLE CAMPBELL DIXON B.A., Geology, Appalachian State University, 1983 M.S., Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 1990 THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Administration The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico July, 2015 iii Acknowledgements I heartily acknowledge Dr. Uday Desai, my advisor and thesis committee chair, for continuing to encourage me through the program and the long months of writing and rewriting the chapters of this thesis. I also thank my committee members, Dr. Bruce Thomson, and Mr. Eric Jantz for their valuable recommendations pertaining to this study and assistance in my professional development. I also thank the Department of Public Administration, especially Mr. Gene Henley for his tireless and very responsive support throughout the program. I extend a great thank you to my wife and friend, Rosamond Dixon, who patiently supported me over the past few years through the evening classes, weekend homework assignments, and the many, many hours it took to complete this thesis. iv THE LEGACY URANIUM MINING AND MILLING CLEANUP PLAN: EVALUATION OF THE EPA FIVE-YEAR PLAN, GRANTS MINING DISTRICT, NEW MEXICO By EARLE CAMPBELL DIXON B.A., Geology, Appalachian State University, 1983 M.S., Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 1990 MPA, University of New Mexico, 2015 ABSTRACT Uranium mining and milling in northwestern New Mexico (NM) impacted soils, stream sediments, surface water, and ground water with elevated levels of radioactivity and toxic heavy metals. Uranium and its radioactive decay products such as radium and radon gas present a significant public health and safety hazard and environmental health risk. The exposure of people and the environment to heavy metals and radionuclides in soil, air, and water in the vicinity of legacy uranium operations in the Grants District requires mitigation through the systematic assessment and cleanup of materials and sites bearing these hazardous contaminants. In August 2010 EPA released the Five-Year Plan Grants Mining District, New Mexico to assess and cleanup hazards from legacy uranium in northwestern NM. An evaluation of the activities in the first five years (2010-2014) of such a large-scale project was performed to determine if there has been measurable progress toward major goals and specific tasks in the Plan. The Six Objectives of the Plan address the following areas: 1. ground water; 2. mines; 3. mills; 4. structures; 5. Jackpile Mine, and 6. biomonitoring. The v Plan accomplishments and progress during 2010-2014 toward completion of these six Objectives indicates that Jackpile Mine and Biomonitoring (Objectives 5 and 6, respectively) were achieved. Objectives 3 and 4 (mill sites and residential structures, respectively) show accomplishments and continuing work. Objectives relating to ground water and mine cleanup (Objective 1 and 2) show some progress but these two objectives were not fully achieved. Constraints and complexities related to regulatory practices, uncertainties, financial burden, and health impacts were identified as hindrance to full completion of the Six Objectives. Recommendations to support future work include development of an implementation plan for ground water, full enforcement of state ground water protection regulations, enhanced public involvement, and better collaboration among five-year plan agencies. vi Table of Contents List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Legacy Uranium Cleanup Plan .......................................................................... 6 Chapter 3: Purpose and Methodology ................................................................................ 11 Chapter 4: Criteria for Legacy Uranium Mine Assessment and Cleanup ...................... 13 Environmental Laws and Regulation .......................................................................... 13 Federal environmental regulations. ................................................................. 13 State of New Mexico environmental legislation. ............................................ 17 Technical Factors and Considerations ........................................................................ 22 Nature, extent and magnitude of contamination. ............................................ 22 Cleanup considerations. .................................................................................. 24 Financial Costs ............................................................................................................ 27 Chapter 5: Evaluation of the Five-Year Plan ..................................................................... 30 Objective 1: Assessment of Water Sources for Contamination .................................. 30 Laws and regulatory programs. ....................................................................... 30 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 31 Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 33 Overall evaluation. .......................................................................................... 33 Objective 2: Assessment and Cleanup of Uranium Mines ......................................... 34 Laws and regulatory programs. ....................................................................... 34 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 35 vii Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 38 Overall evaluation. .......................................................................................... 39 Objective 3: Contaminant Assessment, Cleanup and Long-term Management of Former Uranium Milling Sites ........................................................................ 40 Laws and regulatory programs. ....................................................................... 40 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 41 Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 42 Overall evaluation. .......................................................................................... 43 Objective 4: Assessment and Cleanup of Contaminated Structures ........................... 43 Laws and regulatory programs. ....................................................................... 43 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 44 Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 44 Overall evaluation. .......................................................................................... 45 Objective 5: Jackpile Mine on Laguna Pueblo ........................................................... 45 Laws and regulatory programs. ....................................................................... 45 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 47 Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 48 Overall evaluation. .......................................................................................... 49 Objective 6: Public Health Surveillance ..................................................................... 49 Regulatory legislation and programs. ............................................................. 49 Technical factors and considerations. ............................................................. 50 Financial cost. ................................................................................................. 51 Overall evaluation. .........................................................................................