 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3, 2018
 
Contact: Edith Hood, Red Water Pond Road Community Association
 505.905.8051 home, 505.713-4085 cell
 Susan Gordon, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment, coordinator
 
Red Water Pond Road Community: 39 Years Since North East Church Rock 
Uranium Tailings Spill That Was Never Investigated Nor Cleaned Up
 
-  Uranium Legacy Commemoration, Saturday, July 14, 7 am to 3 pm
-  12 miles North of Red Rock State Park on State Highway 566 near Church Rock, NM
The   Red Water Pond Road Community on Navajo Nation will be hosting their   39th annual commemoration of the 1979 Uranium Tailings Spill that is the   largest uranium tailings spill in the United States. 
   
On   July 16, 1979, an earthen dam that held liquid uranium waste broke,   releasing 1,000 tons of solid radioactive mill waste and more than 90   million gallons of acidic and radioactive liquids into the Rio Puerco.   The contaminants flowed downstream through Gallup, NM and across nine   Navajo chapters. Several days after the spill, United Nuclear   Corporation sent a handful of people out with shovels and buckets in an   attempt to remediate the mess. To this day there has been no   reclamation, no study to see how far the contamination went and its   impacts on local water systems and people’s health. United Nuclear   Corporation has not been held accountable for the spill.
    
“Let   us come together again and share these issues and concerns,  collaborate  and strategize, to push clean up of these contaminated  environments  among our Diné people, to restore, preserve and protect  our Mother  Earth,” said Edith Hood, Red Water Pond Road Community  resident. “It is  time for our state and tribal governments to stand up  and help these  impacted communities on Dinetah. There has been enough  talk. It is time  to take action on behalf of the people."  
    
The   North East Church Rock community are concerned about the uranium   contamination legacy that has poisoned Mother Earth, including our   sacred waters, land, and livestock. This gathering will provide a venue   to discuss and educate everyone about the impacts of uranium mining and   milling and about the ongoing work to remove uranium contaminated soil   from the surrounding areas to protect our families and environment. 
    
There will be a 7 am walk to the spill site to offer healing prayers. Following the walk   people will gather under shade for food, community education, speeches,   and a silent auction.
     
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