Spokane Tribal Community/Midnite Mine Superfund Site

Open Uranium Pit (Pit 3) at Midnite Mine Superfund Site

Site Overview

Site Location

Wellpinit, Washington

Site Description

Midnite Mine, located on the Spokane Indian Reservation eight miles from the Spokane Tribe government complex in Wellpinit, is an inactive open-pit uranium mine closed in 1981, leaving behind 2.4 million tons of stockpiled ore (containing 2 million pounds of uranium oxide) and 33 million tons of waste rock. Two of the six excavated pits are open and partially filled with water. Exposed rock from the ore piles generates acid rock drainage. Radionuclides and heavy metals have contaminated groundwater, seeps and surface water, including Blue Creek. Since being listed as a Superfund site in 1999, screening for treatment of impacted on- and off-site solids, groundwater, surface water and sediments have been conducted. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ecological and human health impact evaluations have been conducted, which include cultural and subsistence lifestyle exposure considerations, as recommended by the Spokane Tribe. The Midnite Mine Proposed Cleanup Plan was released in September 2005.

Organization Requesting Assistance

Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, Land (S.H.A.W.L.) Society of the Spokane Tribal Community, with referral provided by EPA Region 10.

Beginning Date

February 2004

Summary of TOSNAC Assistance

The TOSNAC program and S.H.A.W.L. Society have worked together to develop and implement community outreach efforts to the Spokane Tribal Community. Details on TOSNAC activities at this site are available in the Midnite Mine Outreach Case Analysis. (PDF, 61 KB)

An overview of these activities include:

Community outreach and training primarily focused on review of two EPA risk documents, supporting technical documents and references from Spokane Tribe’s expert risk analysis consultant;

Uranium, Radiation and Heavy Metals: What Are the Risks to Spokane

Tribal Community? Spokane Tribe Community Uranium, Radiation Education (C.U.R.E.) Project Training, Wellpinit, WA, Aug. 24, 2004.

Attendance and participation at S.H.A.W.L. Society and EPA Superfund meetings, site visits, and mining-oriented conferences;

Summary and review of four Midnite Mine Superfund documents and proposed cleanup plan, released September 2005; and

Community training focused on describing Midnite Mine alternative remedies and discussion of proposed clean-up plan collaboratively produced and delivered by S.H.A.W.L. Society, TOSNAC and Southwest Research and Information Center.

Midnite Mine Superfund Cleanup Plans: Addressing Community

Concerns Training, Wellpinit, WA, Nov. 17, 2005.

Collaborative outreach meeting with S.H.A.W.L. Society, TOSNAC and EPA Region 10 in Wellpinit to encourage public participation during development of institutional controls, like fencing, signs, and safety education programs (July 2007).

Spokane Tribal Community Training Session

Spokane Tribal Community Training Session (November 2005)

Current Efforts

TOSNAC/TOSC and S.H.A.W.L. Society are seeking collaborative outreach opportunities to assist the Spokane Tribal community in addressing long-term risk management concerns related to uranium, radiation, heavy metals and subsistence lifestyle exposures.

S.H.A.W.L. Society is building Indigenous community capacity to address mine waste cleanup concerns through international presentations of Spokane Tribal community Superfund education efforts.

Tour group viewing Pit 4