HM 26 — "URANIUM WORKERS DAY"

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 26PROCLAIMING 54THFEBRUARY LEGISLATURE15, - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2019 INTRODUCED"URANIUM BYWORKERS EliseoDAY" LeeIN AlconTHE andHOUSE D.OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wonda5 JohnsonWHEREAS, andthe HarryGrants Garciamineral belt, situated between Shiprock and Patriciathe A.Pueblo of Laguna, contains one of the world's richest uranium deposits;

Lundstromand 7WHEREAS, 9during Aa MEMORIALthirty-year PROCLAIMINGperiod FEBRUARYbeginning 15,in 20191948, "URANIUMthe WORKERSGrants DAY"mineral INbelt THEproduced HOUSEmore OFuranium REPRESENTATIVES.than any other district in the world and accounted for one-third of all of the uranium produced in the United States during that period;

14and WHEREAS, the Grantshistory mineralof belt,uranium situatedmining betweenhas Shiprockinvolved small "mom and thepop" Pueblosurface ofand Laguna,underground containsmines oneand oflarge- thescale world'scommercial richestsurface uraniumand deposits;underground mines;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, during a thirty-year period beginning in 1948, w l n d 18 the GrantsNavajo mineralNation belthas producedidentified moreover uraniumfive thanhundred anyabandoned other = = 19 a l district in the world and accounted for one-third of all of the i a e r 20 uranium producedmines inon thetribal Unitedlands; States during that period;

and a t m m 21 WHEREAS, the history of uranium mining hasand involvedminerals smalldivision dof rthe eenergy, 22minerals "mom and pop"natural surfaceresources anddepartment undergroundhas minesidentified andnearly large-scalesix chundred emine sand kexploration 23sites commercialin surfaceMcKinley, Cibola and undergroundSandoval mines;counties alone;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, the Navajo Nation has identified over five u [ hundred abandoned uranium mines on tribal lands;

and .213201.1 WHEREAS, the mining and minerals division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department has identified nearly six hundred mine and exploration sites in McKinley, Cibola and Sandoval counties alone;

and HM 26 WHEREAS, in addition to uranium mines, mills used to Page 1 process ore to yellowcake were constructed and operated at seven sites in New Mexico;

and WHEREAS, the energy, minerals and natural resources department estimates that about seven thousand people were e e 17 employed in the uranium industry in New Mexico in 1978, the e e n d 18 record year for uranium production in the state;

and = = l ] 19 WHEREAS, limited studies on the health risks to miners a l r i 20 from uranium exposure showed that Navajo uranium miners were t e a t three times more likely to die from lung cancer than the United m m 21 e d r e 22 States average;

and c e r c 23 WHEREAS, uranium miners were five times more likely to e a n b 24 develop lung cancer than the general population;

and u [ WHEREAS, exposure to dust, gases, exhaust and fumes as .213201.1 - 2 - well as the lack of protective clothing and safety measures, such as miners coming in contact with water from the mine ceilings or eating their lunches while at work, can result in non-malignant and malignant respiratory diseases;

and WHEREAS, the negative effects of uranium mining and HM 26 Page 2 milling and the health impacts from working in a mine are stressors for individuals and families;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that, in recognition e e 17 of the contributions of uranium workers and in recognition of e e n d 18 the ongoing health and environmental impacts as a result of = = l ] 19 historical uranium industrial operations in New Mexico, a l r i 20 February 15, 2019 be designated "Uranium Workers Day" in the t e a t house of representatives;

and m m 21 e d r e 22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be c e r c 23 transmitted to members of the New Mexico congressional e a n b 24 delegation, the governor of the Pueblo of Laguna, the governor u [ of the Pueblo of Acoma, the president of the Navajo Nation and .213201.1 - 3 - the county commissioners of Cibola, Sandoval and McKinley counties.

-HM 426 -Page 53 725 9 11 13 15 e e 17 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .213201.1