Is a Uranium mill in Utah making tribal members sick? They'll find out in 2025

A Native American community is hoping a new study will answer questions about their health.

There has been an increase in health problems among members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe.

Scott Clow is the tribe's environmental director. There is no evidence tying that to the mill at this time, but we have our concerns.

The tribe received a grant from the EPA in June that will be used to conduct a study with the CDC. If links can be made to the Energy Fuels mill, it will analyze tribal members' health data. The results are expected in 25

He wants to know everything he can to help the tribe understand the situation.

Some of the radioactive waste imported from overseas has been dumped at the White Mesa facility.

Concerns about climate change are leading to increased demand for carbon free energy, including nuclear.

Almost half of the fuel used by the U.S. nuclear plants comes from Russia and the former Soviet republics. Energy Fuels got a permit from the state of Arizona to reopen the old mine.

For thousands of years, the region around the mill home has been called the "Ute Mountain Utes" by their descendants. A sacred site for the area's Indigenous people is visible from the mill's property.

Michael Badback's family has lived in the community of White Mesa for many years. They worry they won't be able to preserve their way of life into the future.

"This is still virgin land, and we want it to stay that way," said Badback. Our forefathers used to walk on this land. We want to leave it up to our children.

Badback is against the production and storage of radioactive materials.

He doesn't know the health issues that come with it. A lot of our people got sick. Adults and kids started to have asthma.

There are contaminants in the water. The Grand Canyon Trust says there are levels of acidity and chemicals in the water below the mill.

It's hard to link health conditions to pollution. Energy Fuels doesn't believe that the contaminants in the water are a problem.

Vice President Moore says that there will be big fluctuations in elements. Right now, that's what we're seeing.

The elements don't pose a health risk according to Energy Fuels. State regulators have loosened their rules to allow Energy Fuels to store radioactive waste on site.

The tribe's Clow disagrees. It's orders of magnitude higher than what we'd find naturally.

The mill takes precautions, according to Moore. The radioactive waste is stored in ponds. The cells have liners.

Older cells don't have leak detection systems because they were built before the technology was standard. It is not possible to know if they are leaking or not according to the Grand Canyon Trust.

Air pollution is also a concern for the Utes.

The water in the tailing cells helps prevent radiation from escaping. The radioactive material has been above the water for the last two years. That is a violation of federal law according to the EPA.

The exposed cell could emit up to ten times more radiation than if it were under water and the mill's radioactive waste must remain submerged at all times. The agency told Energy Fuels it needed to fill the cell.

The company is working on it. It may take several months to fill the cell because there are limits on how much water can be pumped from wells in the high desert area.

The Clean Air Act states that the thing should have liquid on it.