The Fundamentals from Yellow Dirt
-Written by Judy Pasternak
- Most of book takes place in 1940s during WWII and throughout Cold War
-Tells the story of government’s desperate push for more nuclear weapons
- Needed uranium extracted from mine on Navajo land
- Story of Navajo tribe that labored in mine and the subsequent health issues
- Vanadium Company of America (VCA)- mined for vanadium—element that was crucial to the construction of armor plates for warships
-Every 6 pounds of vanadium harvested from carnotite yielded one pound of harvested uranium
- At first uranium secretly sold to U.S. gov’t to support Manhattan Project
- Central focus of book tells the story of the betrayal of Navajo land and people by mining companies and U.S. gov’t
- Despite apparent health effects of uranium, the government still allowed the employment of Navajo people to work on mines
- Practices continued throughout Cold War until end of 20th century due to the demand for atomic bombs at this time
- Effects on Navajo people
- Thousands of Navajo miners worked in mines unprotected despite the warnings from physicians and scientists
- Uranium dust not only affected miners but entire Navajo community due to it contaminated air, soil and water—these findings were presented to government
- Radioactive “yellow dirt” found in Navajo drinking sources, walls and floors, playgrounds, homes and buildings, and garbage dumps. Navajo people still affected by the mining and many deaths can still be attributed to uranium mining in area.
Uranium
— Different grades of Uranium ore
-Very High-grade = 200,000 ppm Uranium (20% U)
- High – grade = 20,000 ppm Uranium (2% U)
- Low-grade = 1,000 ppm Uranium (0.1% U)
- 85 % of Uranium is hydrothermal
The Navajo Culture
- Diné- the name the Navajo call themselves. Means “The People”
- Dinétah = The Navajo Land
- Currently largest federally recognized tribe with 300,048 members
- Reservation is the largest Indian reservation in the United States
- Migrated from Canada, settled near Pueblo people
- Healing: Medicine men = Hatalii
- Believed that violation of taboos causes ailments
- Ceremonies usually last at least 4 days
Politics
- Radium discovered and mined with vanadium in 1910’s and 1920’s
- Used in Marie Curie’s experiments of fluorescence and patent medicines
- Vanadium used to strengthen ship hulls during and after WWI
- Peruvian mine slowing production for VCA by 1931—forced to move to Navajo reservation
- Uranium = a known waste product of Vanadium refining
- Domestic production 1938 of vanadium/uranium = 70,000 tons in 1948; by 1956 = 3,000,000 tons
- October 28, 1957- “We have arrived at the point where it is no longer in the interest of the federal government to expand the production of uranium concentrates”
Chemistry
- Nuclear reaction—change in the nucleus of an atom; emission of radiation
- 1896—discovery of radioactivity in Uranium salts by Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie
-Uranium that remains outside the body is much less harmful than uranium that is inhaled or swallowed
- Long-term intakes of uranium isotopes in food, water, or air can lead to internal irradiation and chemical toxicity, increased cancer risk, and liver damage
Radon
- Inhalation is the main means of entry of radon into our bodies
- Lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases are the main diseases from radon exposure
- Other forms of cancer also prevalent in uranium miners
- Birth defects in Navajo babies during uranium mining were 2 to 8 times higher than national average
Current Domestic Nuclear Situation
- U.S. is the world’s third largest producer of nuclear power
- 2010: U.S. had 104 reactors that produced 807 billion kWh (20% of electrical output)
- Four to six new nuclear reactors expected to be built by 2020
- No new constructed has occurred since 1977
- Since 1970s U.S. has dramatically improved safety and operational performance
- Net capacity is now 90% and safety standards exceed targets
- Exelon- largest U.S. operator—has plans to update most of reactor fleet to provide the equivalent of one new reactor by 2017
-September 2011—Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended 71 reactors w/ more applications for extensions expected in 2014
- The Energy Policy Act in 2005 provided much needed funding for nuclear power
- Tax credits and federal loan guarantees
- Incentivized 19 applications for 14 plants involving 21 reactors all over U.S.
- U.S. government has invested heavily in nuclear reactor research and development
- Particularly concerned with next generation reactor technology
- Domestic uranium production supplies about 10% of U.S. requirements for nuclear fuel
- As of 2008 U.S. uranium reserves provide a projected 23 years of uranium at current demand
- Wyoming and New Mexico lead the nation in total uranium reserves
- Together they hold roughly two-thirds of domestic uranium reserves
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