Navajos concerned about return of uranium mining [View All]

Aug 28, 2005, 10:20 pm

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FARMINGTON — Upon hearing a Canadian uranium mining company had requested to reopen its two McKinley County facilities, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. recently met with Gov. Bill Richardson to express the Nation’s opposition to such a move.

George Hardeen, communications director for Shirley, said he had read an Aug. 9 article in a weekly business publication that reported Strathmore Minerals Corp. had recently opened an uranium mine development office in Santa Fe.It was further reported Strathmore officials had met with Richardson’s office to discuss plans to gain state approval to reopen its Church Rock and Roca Honda uranium mines, according to a press release issued by Shirley’s office.Church Rock is located on the Navajo Nation.

Upon reading the article, Hardeen forwarded the information to Shirley, who contacted the governor to set up Tuesday’s meeting.
“(Shirley) had not heard of that. He immediately got on the phone,” Hardeen said via phone Friday. “Few issues rise to this level of his concern, because of what (uranium mining) has cost the Navajo people and the Navajo culture.”

“Because of exposure to uranium, many of my medicine people have died, many of my elderly have died,” Shirley said in the release. “I’d sure hate to go back there. Too many of my people have died.”

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http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/08/27/news/regional/116534a3469646c0872570690059d40d.txt

this Canadian company must be getting promises ...