[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 737 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 737

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
  efforts of the Federal Government to address the public health and 
 environmental crisis on the Navajo Nation caused by abandoned uranium 
                                 mines.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 3, 2019

   Mr. O'Halleran (for himself, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
Gallego, Mr. Stanton, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Torres Small of New Mexico, and 
 Mr. Lujan) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
 on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
  efforts of the Federal Government to address the public health and 
 environmental crisis on the Navajo Nation caused by abandoned uranium 
                                 mines.

Whereas Federal directives from World War II and the Cold War era led to the 
        extensive mining of uranium ore on the Navajo Nation;
Whereas 524 abandoned uranium mines remain scattered across the Navajo Nation 
        and pose a significant radiation health hazard to the public and 
        environment;
Whereas cancer from radiation exposure is the second-leading cause of sickness 
        and death on the Navajo Nation;
Whereas the Environmental Protection Agency, upon the insistence of the Navajo 
        Nation, has secured settlement agreements with responsible parties to 
        fund the cleanup of 219 of the abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo 
        Nation;
Whereas there are 305 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation for which 
        Federal funds or settlement agreements are not available to fund their 
        cleanup; and
Whereas it is the express duty of the United States, through the Environmental 
        Protection Agency, to address and ensure the timely remediation of the 
        environmental contamination resulting from abandoned uranium mines on 
        the Navajo Nation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Environmental Protection Agency, in full coordination and 
partnership with the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency and 
other affected Tribes, should take all necessary steps to ensure that 
cleanup actions for all abandoned uranium mines and related 
environmental pollution on the Navajo Nation and other Tribal lands are 
implemented expeditiously.
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