Chevron, Western Nuclear agree to continue uranium mine cleanup efforts in New Mexico

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Western Nuclear Inc., recently agreed to develop options for cleaning up uranium mine waste at two Navajo Nation sites near Gallup, New Mexico, an effort expected to cost the companies $300,000 each, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a release.

The EPA reached separate agreements with the two companies to continue the cleanup of radium-contaminated soil at the two sites, the release said.

The release said the agreements are part of a larger effort to deal with the issue of more that 500 abandoned uranium mines on or near the Navajo Nation, where approximately 30 million tons of uranium ore were mined during the Cold War.

The recent agreements are important steps toward resolving the legacy of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation, Enrique Manzanilla, Superfund director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region, said in the release.