
EPA requires BNSF
Railway Company to begin work at abandoned uranium mines
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced an agreement with BNSF Railway Company to begin cleanup at the
Haystack Mines Site, a group of three abandoned uranium mines near Prewitt, New
Mexico and the Baca/Prewitt chapter, on Navajo Nation. The mines site operated from 1952 to 1981 and produced 400,000 tons of uranium ore. Today, the 174-acre area is being used for livestock grazing and includes one residence with some additional homes nearby. The work is expected to begin in July and last for four months.
Under the agreement, BNSF Railway Company will conduct the following actions:
- Through
biological and cultural assessments of the property, ensure cultural
resources and sensitive species are not impacted
- Fence
the property and post warning signs
- Outreach
to the local community
- Provide
temporary alternative housing to impacted residents if necessary
- Construct
access roads
- Excavate
contaminated soil
For more information about EPA activities in the Southwest, please visit: www.epa.gov/region9 or www.epa.gov/region6
Media Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov
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