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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Harrison

DATE TYPED 2/7/05

HJM 16

SHORT TITLE Home Radioactivity Testing Funding

SB

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION

(in $000s)

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SJM 19 and SJM33.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Environment (NMED)

Office of the State Engineer (OSE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 16 would encourage the members of New Mexico’s congressional delega-

tion to introduce and support legislation providing for testing and monitoring of individual

homes and small businesses in the area of the Shiprock and Ambrosia Lake uranium mines and

requiring meaningful notification of area residents of eligibility for testing and remediation. The

memorial would be transmitted to members of the congressional delegation, U.S. Nuclear Regu-

latory Commission and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.

Significant Issues

According to the Department of Environment (NMED), under the federal Uranium Mill Tailings

Remediation and Control Act, UMTRCA was required to perform a rigorous evaluation of all of

what were called "vicinity properties" surrounding the major uranium milling sites. These in-

House Joint Memorial 16 -- Page 2

cluded private homes, public buildings and utility easements where mill tailings were found.

These sites have already been remediated, mostly back in the 1980s. The DOE Office of Legacy

Management in Grand Junction, Colorado performs annual assessments of remediated uranium

sites, including four locations in New Mexico. When this office identifies problems that relate to

the legacy of the federal government’s search for uranium resources they have some ability to

address them under their mandate. More information can be found at:

http://www.gjo.doe.gov/LM/sites/maps/nm/nm.htm

. Two fact sheets from this website about the Shiprock

and Ambrosia Lake uranium mine remediation are attached.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

HJM 16 duplicates SJM 19 and SJM33.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

According to NMED, the memorial incorrectly states that the federal program referenced above

(UMTRCA) concerns the remediation of Uranium mining sites, when in fact it addressed Ura-

nium milling sites.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1.

Does the federal Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation and Control Act provide sufficient

statutory authority to address the concerns raised in this memorial.

DH/njw

Attachment