The Native American Water Poisoning That's Far Worse

24.3.16

The Native American Water Poisoning That's Far Worse: - [mintnews] - The material that fed the Cold War by making atomic bombs possible is also found in low concentrations of ore, making its runoff a toxic sludge containing other harmful elements, like arsenic and lead.

It’s not just uranium mining that’s made the Navajo Nation’s water so dangerous, though. Dirty coal-fired power plants have also been major polluters of both water and air throughout the 27,000 square miles that the Navajo Nation occupies in the Southwest.

The latest assault on their water came just last year, when “acid mine drainage” entered the Animas and San Juan Rivers following the EPA’s reckless attempts to address long-standing issues with the abandoned Gold King Mine in Colorado. The spill was so severe that parts of the Animas River turned a bright gold within a day, and the affected area, which passes through three states, has been declared a disaster zone.

The Navajo Nation certainly isn’t alone in their fight against repeated violations of the sanctity of their land, not only at the hands of the nuclear and coal industry, but by the government itself.