In January 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), in consultation with the Navajo Nation, completed a Five-year effort to address uranium contamination in the Navajo Nation. The effort focused on the most imminent risks to people living on the Navajo Nation. While the last five years represent a significant start in addressing the legacy of uranium mining, much work remains and the same federal agencies have collaborated to issue a second Five-Year Plan. The purpose of the second Five-Year Plan is to build on the work of the first plan, make adjustments based on information gained during this period, and plan the next steps in addressing the most significant risks to human health and the environment. This Five-Year Plan has the following major objectives: Objective 1: Assessment and Cleanup of Contaminated Structures - Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA) will assess and scan up to 100 homes per year and will refer those with elevated levels of radiation to USEPA for follow-up actions. Objective 2: Assessment of Contaminated Water Sources and Provision of Alternative Water Supplies - Expand geographic focus for providing access to safe drinking water to all six abandoned uranium mine (AUM) regions, encompassing 55 Navajo Nation chapters. Objective 3: Assessment of AUM Sites with Detailed Assessments of those Most Likely to Pose Environmental or Health Problems - Conduct detailed assessments at up to fifty of the highest priority mines. Objective 4: Cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock Mine Site and Additional High Priority AUM Sites - Complete the design of the cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock mine site with input from the Navajo Nation, the community, and other agencies.
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