Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 30 april 2018

AP Exclusive: Water delivery suspended in Nevada mine battle

By SCOTT SONNER, Associ- groundwater cleanup will
ated Press be delayed by more than
RENO, Nev. (AP) — It was four years.
an uncharacteristically “During the last year or so
urgent demand at a U.S. while this has gone on, it
Superfund site where the brought the whole process
cleanup of an abandoned to a halt,” he said. “There
World War II-era mine has have been no new wells,
dragged on for two de- no heavy equipment work-
cades and progress is mea- ing on site, or even real
sured, at best, in years. technical decisions since
Atlantic Richfield, owner Trump was elected.”
of the former Anaconda Twice before, the EPA
copper mine, was sudden- urged priority listing based
ly halting the free home on tests that showed tox-
delivery of bottled water ic levels of uranium, but
it’s provided since 2004 to backed off when state and
about 100 residences on a local business leaders op-
neighboring Native Ameri- posed the move for fear of
can reservation in Nevada a stigma that could affect
where scientists continue property values.
to track the movement Sandoval announced in
of a poisonous plume of 2016 he was reluctantly
groundwater. Yerington Paiute tribe chairman Laurie Thom helps offload water from a delivery truck on the out- dropping the state’s op-
“It is imperative that these skirts of Yerington, Nev., Friday, April 27, 2018. position because the list-
deliveries do not take Associated Press ing would make $31 million
place,” an Atlantic Rich- in federal cleanup funds
field contractor wrote this other for failing to reach an the EPA. nounced he dropped the available. But he reversed
month in a series of emails agreement to resume nor- Now owned by BP, Atlan- mine from a list of 21 Super- course in July when Atlantic
obtained by The Associat- mal deliveries. tic Richfield paid $19.5 mil- fund “emphasis” sites tar- Richfield offered to provide
ed Press. Atlantic Richfield spokes- lion to settle a class-action geted for “immediate and that money instead, and
The Yerington Paiute Tribe man Brett Clanton said the lawsuit in 2015 brought by intense attention.” persuaded the EPA to de-
alleges the abrupt change Houston-based company about 700 nontribal neigh- The emphasis list Pruitt is- fer any listing.
was retaliation for its fight “is disappointed with the bors of the mine, about 65 sued last year — a lesser The governor continues to
against a recent move that characterization of this se- miles (105 kilometers) south- category of priority sites support the current clean-
puts the state and the com- quence of events as retal- east of Reno. The neighbors that didn’t exist under pri- up path, his spokeswoman
pany in charge of cleaning iatory.” had accused past owners or administrations — was Mary-Sarah Kinner said this
up the mine site instead The company began pro- of conspiring to cover up roundly criticized by envi- week. She said the EPA’s
of the U.S. Environmental viding the bottled water the extent of groundwater ronmentalists and others proposal for priority listing
Protection Agency. Over after tests confirmed poi- contamination. The com- who said it was an attempt remains on the table until
the tribe’s staunch objec- sonous groundwater seep- pany continues a legal to divert attention from the the cleanup is completed
tions, the EPA in February ing from the mine had battle with the tribe. Trump administration’s pro- under state oversight.
backed off plans in the contaminated dozens of The EPA first determined posed 30 percent cut in the The latest clash centers on
works for years to formally neighbors’ wells. the site qualified for priority EPA’s budget. the tribe’s insistence that
elevate the mine to priority It will resume home deliv- Superfund status in 1994 but The EPA said in announc- neither Atlantic Richfield
status on a list of the most eries, as well as ground- didn’t formally propose the ing the Anaconda mine’s nor the state has any au-
contaminated Superfund water sampling on tribal listing until 2016 — 31 years removal from the list that thority to carry out cleanup
sites. property, once a “valid after Nevada regulators “cleanup activities prog- efforts on its property.
“I believe that this dismis- access agreement can be first accused Anaconda ress, and completion of Tribal members “have juris-
sive, arrogant act means obtained” from the tribe, Mining Co. of discharging specific milestone and diction over their own land,
to punish us by cutting off Clanton said. pollutants illegally. timelines have benefited air and water resources,
our water in an attempt to The mine’s previous own- Tribal leaders say the water from the administration’s in- and only the EPA has been
pressure us to stop fighting er, Arimetco, left behind a dispute underscores their fluence.” directed by the U.S. Con-
for our legal rights,” Tribal 90-million-gallon (341-mil- concerns that Gov. Brian But Dietrick McGinnis, a gress to implement federal
Chairman Laurie Thom told lion-liter) toxic stew of ura- Sandoval has negotiated longtime environmental environmental statutes on
the AP. nium, arsenic and other away any ability to expe- consultant for the tribe, said tribal lands,” the National
Atlantic Richfield currently chemicals — enough to dite the cleanup without the new timelines the EPA Congress of American In-
is delivering water to a site cover 80 football fields 10 the teeth of the EPA. released in conjunction dians said in a resolution
off the reservation for tribal feet (3 meters) deep — Their fears grew earlier with the February agree- attached to one of Thom’s
members to pick up, and when it abandoned the this month when EPA Ad- ment to defer any priority complaints to the EPA on
both sides blame each site in 2000, according to ministrator Scott Pruitt an- Superfund listing indicate March 7.q