A bill in the U.S. Senate that would dedicate a hundred million dollars to the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines on tribal lands has passed a key hurdle.
The Committee on Environment and Public Works approved the measure as part of a larger piece of legislation that would expand the use of nuclear energy to counter climate change and invest in new technology.
There are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on and near the Navajo Nation that have been linked to cancers and other severe health problems.
They endanger the environment and communities through acid mine drainage, chemical releases and groundwater contamination.
The full cleanup of the mines leftover from the Cold War is expected to cost billions of dollars and take many years.
Only a few dozen of the mines have so far been assessed and remediated.