Neighbors unhappy about mining operation

Neighbors unhappy about mining operation

March 1, 2006 09:57 PM CST






RICARDO - Some Kleberg County residents have been fighting a uranium mining company's plan to expand it's operation. But just last week, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality gave Uranium Resources, Incorporated approval to continue its mining operations in Ricardo.

Uranium Resources Incorporated ( profile ) has been mining in the small town of Ricardo, just south of Kingsville, for more than a decade. One of their richest sources of ore is an area known as Garcia Hill, the company calls it PA3.

"We've already mined about a quarter of a million pounds out of PA3 in the 1998-1999 time frame," said Rick Van Horn, URI Sr. Vice President of Operations.

URI uses different types of wells in its mining operations. One type monitors the ground water for the presence of uranium. Other wells extract the ore, but some residents like Teo Saenz said that process has contaminated their groundwater.

"They've yet to clean up anything, they've yet to show they can clean up meaningfully where it stays clean," Saenz said. Mine officials say they've done their part.

"The allegation that we have not reclaimed anything or not restoring or just sitting here doing nothing...we have pumped and cleaned and treated in these two areas about one and a quarter billion gallons of groundwater," said Van Horn.

For years residents in the area have been fighting the existence of the plant saying the work URI does poses a health risk to their families and future generations. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency has told Teo Saenz and others that the ground water is unfit to drink.

"All those hazardous radioactive materials are in the water table they're in the water," Saenz said. Part of the debate is where that contamination came from. Saenz said his research shows him their water had acceptable amounts of uranium before the plant started mining, but now he said the levels are much higher.

"Now it's 20 times higher and they're saying they had nothing to do with it...if they didn't do it...who did?" asked Saenz. URI officials said there was already uranium contamination in the groundwater before they began their operations.

"If it wasn't drinking water to start with it's not going to be drinking water after," Van Horn said. "Uranium ore trends go right under Garcia Hill. We didn't place these here, these were here long before any of us came here."

Teo Saenz is the leader of a group called South Texas Opposes Pollution or 'STOP'. Saenz and the other STOP members, said they're disappointed with the state's decision to allow the company to continue it's operations, but they're not giving up.

Beto Garcia spends his time getting out and enjoying his ranch and spending time with his five year old grandson Adrian, since he retired from teaching. But he hasn't been able to enjoy his retirement the way he'd like, because of the sight of the uranium mining operations on his ranch property.

"It makes me stop and think am I going to have a special uniform to be out here with the goats," he said. Garcia leased his ranch to the URI saying he didn't realize what was involved or that his water would be affected, but he says once he discovered that his water was contaminated he immediately started sending the checks he was receiving from the lease back to the company.

URI officials said they're not to blame for the contaminated water, they said it was already like that before they started their operations. Still, Garcia is worried.

"There were some people down the road that supposedly...husband and wife that died of bone cancer. I'm not an expert if they got it from the water, but I know they were drinking the same water we were drinking."

6 News spoke with the Centers for Disease Control; they said they have no reports of any high incidence of cancer in the Ricardo area. CDC officials said they would investigate if asked to do so by the state, no such request has ever been made.

Still, Garcia worries about his family's health, especially that of his grandson Adrian.

"He's a lot younger than I am and is it going to affect his health? I don't know...that's what concerns me really." The company halted mining in the Garcia Hill area back in the 1990's because prices for uranium went down. The prices are now back up and URI wants to get back to mining on Garcia Hill. Company officials say residents have no cause for concern.

"There is not one instance where it can be shown that we have adversely affected any member of the public," said Rick Van Horn. In fact, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Department of State Health Services, which monitor the site, said the plant has never been cited for any public health or safety violations.

"We have not seen anything that has went to or I believe in the past that shows anything on escalated enforcement with URI," said state spokesperson Thomas Cardwell. If a state agency were to find URI was causing an immediate threat, they could shut down operations.

Garcia isn't satisfied; he's convinced that state has overlooked the safety issues. He said he'll do whatever it takes to protect his grandson, even if it means moving off the land his family has lived on for generations.

URI's operation is inspected at least once a year by the TCEQ and the State Health Department. Health officials said the plant has received some minor violations but they didn't involve anything that would have put the environment at risk.

Online Reporter: Jozannah Quintanilla





















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