The Wyoming Senate has given initial approval to a Joint Resolution asking Congress to increase funding and monitoring at the Riverton Uranium Mill Tailings remediation site. Mill Tailings at the site, on the Wind River Reservation, constitute contaminated materials left over from the former Susquehanna-Western uranium mill that operated in the 50’s and 60’s.
Senator Cale Case told the Senate that the federal government had expected the site to naturally clean itself up after the company ceased operation in the area. However, he says that hasn’t been the case…
"Pollution at the site has actually increased, especially as a result of the flooding we had in record amounts in 2010," said Case. " So what this resolution does and it kind of shows the support of the state of Wyoming standing with the tribes in the Wind River Reservation, to ask the Department of Energy to give this site increased attention.”
Case noted that the governor is also asking for federal help… and added that there is little the tribes can do without federal assistance.