New Mexico Tribe Receives Funding For Nuclear Lab Contamination

A tribe that sits on the edge and is the birth place of a nuclear lab has experienced contamination, reports the Associated Press. Now the pueblo is receiving state fund to help eliminate wastes caused from the nuclear lab.

The tribe, San Ildefonso Pueblo, located in New Mexico on the outskirts of Los Alamos, has been a victim for decades of nuclear contamination from nuclear bomb making and research.

Now the Pueblo Governor, James Mountain, is announcing that there will be more efforts made to clean up the contamination, primarily the plume of chromium contamination that has been found on the tribe's border.

Recent samplings show that the chromium is increasing at the edges of the plume, coming closer to sacred land of the tribe and the Rio Grande, which can affect many communities who receive their drinking water from the river, the AP reports.

Ryan Flynn, from the New Mexico Environment Department, said the amount needed to funnel the contamination is approximately $255 million, but has put this project as a priority due to the potential contamination to groundwater.

"The essence is groundwater is precious in New Mexico so we take threats to groundwater very seriously," Flynn said. "We certainly think there's an elevated risk associated with any contamination to groundwater."

Additionally, NH Voice reported that the governor, Susanna Martinez plans to visit the pueblo and will announce how the funding will be used to renovate and improve the community's town, not just on nuclear contamination, but with also other various water infrastructures.

According to a report in SantaFeNewMexican, "Gov. Susana Martinez visited this small bedroom community near Los Alamos on Monday to highlight more than $32 million that will be spent on improving aging water infrastructure, stormwater controls, monitoring of runoff in and around Los Alamos National Laboratory and upgrades of roads used to transport radioactive waste."

San Ildefonso Pueblo consists of 750 members and is a tribe known for its artistry, jewelry, and paintings.