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.

IV 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 environ- mental crisis on the Navajo Nation caused by abandoned uranium mines. 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. LUJA´N) 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 con- cerned RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard- ing 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; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Dec 04, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR737.IH HR737 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 737 IH 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 in- sistence 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 en- sure the timely remediation of the environmental con- tamination resulting from abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2 full coordination and partnership with the Navajo Nation 3 Environmental Protection Agency and other affected 4 Tribes, should take all necessary steps to ensure that 5 cleanup actions for all abandoned uranium mines and re- 6 lated environmental pollution on the Navajo Nation and 7 other Tribal lands are implemented expeditiously. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Dec 04, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR737.IH HR737 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS