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Developing a Tribal Radon Program Vivian Craig Environmental Specialist NNEPA Radon Program

Developing a Tribal Radon Program Vivian Craig Environmental Specialist NNEPA Radon Program. Objective of the NNEPA Radon Program. Is to protect the health of the Navajo Nation through: -public outreach -radon testing -informing the communities on the risk of radon

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Developing a Tribal Radon Program Vivian Craig Environmental Specialist NNEPA Radon Program

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  1. Developing a TribalRadonProgram Vivian Craig Environmental Specialist NNEPA Radon Program

  2. Objective of the NNEPA Radon Program • Is to protect the health of the Navajo Nation through: • -public outreach • -radon testing • -informing the communities on the risk of radon • -increase radon testing • -finding sources for mitigation

  3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • History of Uranium Mining and Abandoned Mines • Building and homes have been constructed with • materials from mines and milling waste sites • Outreach on radon risk • Radon Program is the only resource available for • testing of tribal buildings, schools and homes • A monitoring program not a regulatory program

  4. Developing a Tribal Radon Program • Navajo Nation covers 17.6 million acres • Arizona, New Mexico and Utah • Population of 289,000 (+) Navajos • Five Agencies • Eastern, Northern, Chinle, Western & Fort Defiance • Three Islands-Alamo, Pinehill & Tohajiilee • 110 Chapters • Tribal Buildings & Tribal Entities • Head Start Centers, Senior Centers & Chapter Houses • BIA, Public, Border Town & Public Schools

  5. How and Where Do I Begin?Who is going to train me? HELP!

  6. Developing a TribalProgram • Contacted the Division of Dine Education • 160 Head Start Schools • List of all the Schools on Navajo • 67 Public Schools on Navajo Nation • 105 Public Schools off Navajo Nation • 34 Bureau Of Indian Affairs • 26 Contract/Grants on Navajo Nation • 2 Contract/Grants off Navajo Nation • 5 Private Schools on Navajo Nation • 10 Private Schools off Navajo Nation

  7. Planning and Scheduling • Outreach • Distance/Time • Materials • Business • Tribal • Government • Private Entities • Homes • Audience • Youth/Students • Senior Citizens • Sampling • Distance/Time • Weather • Start/End Time • Amount of canisters • Blanks/Duplicates • Short/Long term • Documentation • Chain of Custody

  8. Church Rock Uranium Monitoring ProjectCommunity Members AML AML AML FWHS NMED TAMS ITEP SRIC CRUMP USEPA IX IA&R Lab

  9. Overview of CRUMP • Church Rock Chapter applied for a grant to conduct an environmental assessment of their communities. • Existing environmental data outdated, lacking in critical areas • Current residents face increased health risks • No public health study ever conducted in the Church Rock and surrounding areas • Proposed 1000 homes to be built put on hold for a thorough EA I & II

  10. PREVIOUS FINDINGS • Mine water dumped into the Rio Puerco ’60-’80s • High U levels measured in wells next to Rio Puerco in late ’80s and early ’90s • Sheep and Cattle had higher levels of radioactive materials in their muscles and organs in Church Rock • No new radonmonitoring since 1988 Radioactive waste spill in 1979

  11. Uranium “101” Education Perry Charley w/ Dine’ College

  12. Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project Training on the Ludlum & Documentation WHS Student/Teacher w/Roger & Melinda John & Diane taking readings Melinda, Stanley & Larry in Scanner Van

  13. EPA Scanner Van

  14. Water Pond Road

  15. John Plummer-NNEPA Gerald Brown-Chapter Alta Yazzie-Community Vivian Craig-NNEPA Photographer-Chris Shuey/SRIC Met with Chapter Officials Outreach Chapter Officials Community USEPA Lab Las Vegas, NV 300 radon canisters Strategize where to begin Water Pond Road Pipeline Canyon When will sampling began Chapter informed that NNEPA Radon Program is a Monitoring Program not a Regulatory Program CRUMP Radon Team

  16. Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project Gallup Independent Radon: A deadly killerDetectors to be installed in 175 Church Rock homes FORT DEFIANCE — Members of Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency will be installing radon detectors in up to 175 homes in the Church Rock area beginning Monday. Nearly one in 15 homes in the United States has a high level of indoor radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

  17. Voluntary Project Explanation of Project. Educated the community on Radon and canisters: What is Radon? Health Effects. What's in the canisters? Retrieval in 7 days. Results to take time. Indoor Air Quality-Radon House. Community members were hesitate, but Thankful. Enjoyed meeting all the participants. CRUMP Radon Update

  18. 169 Homes tested 276 Canisters placed from 31 homes with readings >4 pCi/l Radon results were turned over to the Church Rock Chapter CRUMP Technical Team and Chapter Officials met on follow-up recommendations. Cultural & Traditional Sensitivity issues Technical Interpretation in the Dine’ Language If follow-up measures needs to be taken it will be confirmed with a second short-term or long-term test. AML will assist with homes surveys Naturally occurring Mine or Mill waste used CRUMP Radon Assessment

  19. CRUMP Next Steps for CRUMP • With all these findings the UNC North site is to be remediated • Talking phase • Removal Option Paper with comments will be given back to USEPA Region 9 • New in-law/lawyer on board Mr. John Hueston, with NNDOJ • Further testing for radon in homes

  20. April 29, 2005, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr. signed the “Dine Natural Resources Protection Act 2005” in Crownpoint, NM. Signing Ceremony

  21. Muttonman recommends that you test your homes, schools and tribal buildings for radon. AHEHEE’ Vivian Craig, NNEPA Radon Program P.O. Box 339 Window Rock, Arizona 86515 928.871.7863 vivcraig@juno.com Pictures from RoamingPhotos.com

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