The Navajo Nation's ongoing battle against uranium mining

From the website of Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining - Concerned Citizens of T'iistsooz-Nideeshgizh(ENDAUM)

The History of ENDAUM-CCT
ENDAUM-CCT, is a citizens group representing two Navajo communities. These two communities, Crownpoint and Churchrock, New Mexico, are threatened by a proposed uranium* solution project that could contaminate the only source of drinking water for 15,000 people.

This citizen group has raised public awareness about the projects, and has generated a large amount of publicity on the Navajo Nation as well as off the reservation.

The company, Hydro Resources, Inc., has proposed to mine in four areas near the communities of Crownpoint and Churchrock. The uranium would not be removed by the previous traditional open-pit mining or shaft mining. The uranium would be removed by a process called In-situ Leach (ISL) mining. this type of mining includes the process of drilling holes in the ground, to the aquifer and injecting the water with chemicals that would "leach", or strip the uranium from the host rock (sandstone lined aquifer). The ISL mining method deliberately contaminates the ground water in the mining zone. At the present time Crownpoint has a pristine aquifer which provides pristine water to 15,000 people. These people come from all over the Eastern Navajo Agency to get water for everyday uses, such as cooking, drinking, cleaning, bathing and feeding livestock.

to learn more, please visit their website at- ENDAUM

Also, Democracy Now focused on this struggle as they broadcasted from Albuquerque, NM. To watch this segment or read the transcript, please go to the following link- DEMOCRACY NOW