2017 03 28 GKM Enviro Update 170329-email - … · funded by: partnerships: project update 3/28/17 karletta chief, paloma beamer, jani ingram, dean billheimer, mae-gilene begay, manley

Funded By:

Partnerships:

P R O J E C T U P D AT E 3 / 2 8 / 1 7

K A R L E T TA C H I E F, PA L O M A B E A M E R , J A N I I N G R A M , D E A N B I L L H E I M E R , M A E - G I L E N E

B E G AY, M A N L E Y B E G AY, N I C O L E T T E T E U F E L -S H O N E , P E R RY C H A R L E Y, R E B E C C A C L A U S E N ,

A N D J A N E N E YA Z Z I E

Gold King Mine Spill Dine’ Exposure Project

WHO WE ARE UNIVERSITY OF AZ

•  Karletta Chief –  Hydrology Professor

•  Paloma Beamer –  Environmental Health

Professor

•  Nicolette Teufel-Shone –  Health Promotion

Professor

•  Dean Billheimer –  Biostatistics

Professor

NORTHERN ARIZONA

•  Jani Ingram

–  Chemistry Professor

•  Manley Begay

–  Indigenous Studies Professor

NAVAJO CHR •  Mae-Gilene Begay

–  CHR Director

DINÉ COLLEGE •  Perry Charley

–  Director, Diné Environmental Institute

FORT LEWIS COLLEGE •  Becky Clausen

–  Sociology Professor TÓ BEE NIHI DZIIL

•  Janene Yazzie

–  Community Organizer


PROJECT AREA


PROJECT GOALS 1.  Find out levels of Arsenic, Lead, and Manganese

in Environmental Samples from 3 Chapters for one year

2.  Understand Human Exposure to the Spill – Household Environmental Samples for Arsenic and Lead

– Personal Samples of Urine for Arsenic and Blood Lead tests

– Sheep and Corn Samples for Arsenic and Lead 3.  Survey what people think about risk from the

Spill and report back measured risks


GOAL 1: ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES 20 SAMPLES AT EACH CHAPTER

• River Water

• River Sediment Core

• Agricultural Soil – Grab & Core

•  Irrigation Water

•  Irrigation Sediment Core


ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES COLLECTED 1.  Nov 2015

1.  162 soil/sediment 2.  67 water

2.  March 2016 1.  183 soil/sediment 2.  41 water

3.  June 2016 1.  213 soil/sediment 2.  180 water

•  UA, NAU, & Diné College

•  847 samples total


STEPS FOR WATER & SOIL/SEDIMENT Samples collected

Water Samples

Soil & Sediment Samples

Prepare for chemical analysis

Chemical analysis for Arsenic, Lead, Manganese

Put chemical analysis results into computer

Amount of Arsenic, Lead, Manganese in sample


Chemical analysis for Arsenic, Lead, Manganese



WATER


AG SOIL GRABS


RIVER & IRRIGATION SEDIMENT + AG SOIL CORES


WATER STATUS Number of samples

by month Sample Type Nov. March June Irrigation canal water 17 10 59 River water 38 31 109 Well water 12 0 12

Total by Month 67 41 180

• Total of 288 water samples collected


WATER STATUS •  All 288 samples were analyzed

for Arsenic, Lead, Manganese

•  All November and March samples are in computer

# of Samples

Sample Type Initial processing

Chemical analysis

Put in computer

Data calculations

Analyze data

Interpret & give back

results

Irrigation canal water

100% (86/86)

100% (86/86)

100% (86/86)

100% (86/86)

100% (86/86)

100% (86/86)

River water 100% (178/178)

100% (178/178)

100% (178/178)

100% (178/178)

100% (178/178)

100% (178/178)

Well water 100% (24/24)

100% (24/24)

100% (24/24)

100% (24/24)

100% (24/24)

100% (24/24)


SOIL/SEDIMENT STATUS Number of samples

by month Sample Type Nov. March June Irrigation canal sediment core 62 36 43 River sediment core 36 21 54 Agricultural core 0 44 53 Irrigation canal grab 0 4 0 Agricultural soil grab 64 78 64

Total by Month 162 183 214

• Total of 559 soil and sediment samples collected


SOIL/SEDIMENT STATUS

# of Samples

Sample Type Initial

processing Chemical analysis

Put in computer

Data calculations

Analyze data

Interpret & give back

results

Irrigation canal sediment core

72% (108/151)

41% (62/151) 0% 0% 0% 0%

River sediment core

51% (57/111)

32% (36/111) 0% 0% 0% 0%

Agricultural core 45% (44/97) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Irrigation canal grab

100% (4/4) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Agricultural soil grab

69% (142/206)

31% (64/206) 0% 0% 0% 0%

•  All November samples chemically analyzed for arsenic, lead, and manganese

•  March samples are prepared for chemical analysis

•  June samples are being prepared for chemical analysis


SEDIMENT & SOIL PROCESSING •  Processing is labor intensive

•  Many steps are required to thoroughly clean equipment (eliminate cross-contamination)

• NAU Lab was moved to another building and chemical analysis instruments were re-set •  This delayed Fall 2016 analyses


GOAL 2: HOUSEHOLD SAMPLING Aug 8-12, 2016

ü Worked with Navajo CHRS

ü Took drinking water, dust wipe and soil samples

ü Collected urine samples

ü Measured lead levels in blood using a portable machine and a finger stick

ü Administered questionnaire and food recall survey

ü Story in Navajo Times

àWill deliver results in Summer 2017 to participants, then community


STEPS FOR HOUSEHOLD SAMPLES Samples collected

Questionnaires and Urine, Soil, Water, Dust Samples

Corn & Sheep Samples


Chemical analysis for Arsenic and Lead


Amount of Arsenic and Lead in sample





Arsenic


Collect Blood and Urine Prepare samples for chemical analysis


HOUSEHOLD PROCESS Administer Questionnaires Ensure Data Quality Put into computer



Arsenic

Collect Soil, Water and Dust Samples

Prepare samples for chemical analysis


QUESTIONNAIRE & DIET INFO

Info on activities, diet, and

other items

Collect Questionnaire Information and Diet

Information

Put in computer Double-check quality of data


BLOOD LEAD TEST

Put results into computer

Amount of Lead in blood

Put sample into machine

Finger Blood Prick

Navajo CHRs safely dispose of anything blood touches


Collect urine

Arsenic

Chemical analysis for Arsenic

Amount of Arsenic in urine sample

Transfer Put chemical analysis results into computer

URINE


Bake soil

1 day

gram

1/2  Dissolve in acid

Arsenic


Amount of Arsenic and Lead in trowel of soil


Collect soil

HOUSEHOLD SOIL


Collect water

Arsenic


Amount of Arsenic and Lead in water sample

Add acid


HOUSEHOLD WATER


Dissolve in acid

Arsenic


Amount of Arsenic and Lead in dust wipe


HOUSEHOLD DUST Collect dust sample

Microwave


GOAL 2: HOUSEHOLD SAMPLING

•  This does not reflect the total number of duplicate samples taken from each home, which varied from 2 to 4 water samples. Numbers only reflects individual homes.

# of Samples by Chapter Upper

Fruitland Shiprock Aneth TOTAL

Questionnaires 18 20 21 59 Adults Blood Lead Test 18 21 22 61

Urine 18 21 21 60 Children Blood Lead Test 11 14 6 31

Urine 11 11 5 27

Soil 18 17 15 50

Water 18 17 15 50

Dust 18 17 15 50


HOUSEHOLD STATUS

•  This does not reflect the total number of duplicate samples taken from each home, which varied from 2 to 4 water samples. Numbers only reflects individual homes.

# of Samples

Initial processing

Chemical analysis

Put in computer

Data calculations

Analyze Data

Interpret Results

Questionnaires 100% Not

applicable 22%

(22/59) 0% 0% 0% Adults Blood Lead Test 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 0%

Urine 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% Children Blood Lead Test 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 0%

Urine 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 0%

Soil 80%

(40/50) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Water 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 0%

Dust 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%


SHEEP & CORN Collection Drying Powdering

Ashing Acid Digestion Trace Element Analysis

Amount of Arsenic or Lead in sheep and corn sample


SHEEP & CORN STATUS •  7 corn samples collected from families in Shiprock and Upper

Fruitland Chapters •  2 corn samples have been collected from Navajo Agricultural

Products Industry (NAPI) •  These corn were not exposed to Spill and will be used to

compare to Shiprock and Upper Fruitland corn •  Lab methods developed to measure Arsenic and Lead in corn •  Analyses for lead and arsenic is in process. •  We presented at San Juan Chapter in Feb 2017 •  No sheep samples have been collected •  Potential families have been identified, but sheep samples will

not be collected until later in the spring (after lambing season) •  We are looking for corn and sheep samples


QUALITY CHECKS • We take steps to double check and verify sample

analysis are as accurate as possible

• Round Robin testing – NAU, UA, and Test America (3rd party lab used by

Navajo EPA) will test a portion of the same sample

– Will determine how different results are from different labs on the same sample


GOAL 3: FOCUS GROUPS •  May 13-22; June 15 & 17, 2016 •  12 Focus groups

– Upper Fruitland, NM……4 – Shiprock, NM……………6 – Aneth, UT………....……..2

•  123 Total Participants •  Transcription

– All English transcribed – Translating from Navajo (4.5

hours total; 43% translated) •  Currently analyzing


SHIPROCK CONCERNS FROM 3 FOCUS GROUPS (PRELIMINARY)

1713

4May13,2016(1) May13,2016(2) May16,2016

NumberofParticipantsperFocusGroup


SHIPROCK CONCERNS FROM 3 FOCUS GROUPS (PRELIMINARY)

4

4

4

5

5

5

6

9

11

14

15

21

21

24

0 5 10 15 20 25

MENTAL HEALTH CHANGES

MENTAL RISK

SOVEREIGNTY RISK

FINANCIAL RISK

RANCHING CHANGES

SPIRITUAL RISK

PRE-EXISTING CONTAMINATION

EXPOSURE

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

FARMING CHANGES

CULTURAL RISK

DISTRUST RISK

HEALTH RISK

FUTURE

Number of references

Shiprock Focus Group Top Themes


SHIPROCK FUTURE VISION (PRELIM) • Utilize the Navajo Agricultural Products

Industry (NAPI) Cutter Dam water

• Pursue compensation to assist with costs to haul water or to use “drip water” temporarily

• Pursue sustainable alternatives like hydroponic farming, solar power to clean the water, and reverse osmosis or “Brita” filtering systems

• Need for a unified “voice” among the community


SHIPROCK HEALTH CONCERNS (PRELIM)

• Personal and family health: Will eating the crops cause them health problems? Will letting their grandchildren play in the field make them ill?

• Community health: Will selling their crops “poison” others?

• Birth defects • Cancer • Mental health • Animal and livestock health: Will eating their

sheep make them ill?


SHIPROCK’S DISTRUST (PRELIM) • The City of Farmington has previously dumped

sewage waste in the river • The federal government has “lied” about

uranium and fertilizer safety in the past • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

has not taken responsibility for the spill • The Navajo Nation government has previously

supported fossil fuel industries and has not spent money from the multimillion dollar settlement towards spill clean-up


SHIPROCK CULTURAL CONCERNS (PRELIM) •  Loss of community identity since they can no longer farm •  Damaged community reputation due to spill (no one will

buy crops from them) •  Community is conflicted on next steps (increased tension) •  The next generation will not be able to farm (disruption to

K’e and community farming culture) •  People have stopped using the river to harvest tadidiin and

to wash off after sweat lodge •  Behavioral health programs have stopped taking kids to the

river to discuss cultural teachings


SHIPROCK CHANGES IN FARMING (PRELIM) • Did not farm after the spill (loss of income)

•  Farmed less land (loss of income)

•  Farmed for family (not to sell)

• Hauled water or used tap water


SHIPROCK ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS (PRELIMINARY) • Concern about heavy metals still in sediment

•  EPA representative said on the news that the water is still contaminated

• ASU professor said water will “not be good for a decade”

• Concerns about long-term presence of contaminants in the sediment and the canals

• Rain brings “grey” water, is there sediment with heavy metals in there?


REPORTING BACK RESULTS •  All results have to be approved by

the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board.

•  Approval takes about 1 month IF approved the first try.

•  Navajo Department of Health Navajo Research Office

Post Office Box 1390

Window Rock, Arizona 86515

(928) 871-6929

http://www.nnhrrb.navajo-nsn.gov

[email protected]

•  Chairperson: Ms. Becenti-Pigman

[email protected]

SUBMISSION Meeting Dates December 30, 2016 January 17, 2017 January 27, 2017 February 21, 2017 February 24, 2017 March 21, 2017 March 24, 2017 April 18, 2017 April 21, 2017 May 16, 2017 May 26, 2017 June 20, 2017 June 23, 2017 July 18, 2017 June 23, 2017 July 18, 2017 July 21, 2017 August 15, 2017 August 25, 2017 September 19, 2017 September 22, 2017 October 17, 2017 October 27, 2017 November 21, 2017 November 24, 2017 December 19, 2017


PROJECTED TIMELINE FOR GIVING RESULTS TO COMMUNITY

SPRING 2017

SUMMER 2017

FALL 2017

• April – Environmental Water Results

• July – Environmental Soil/Sediment Results

• August – Household Results (Individuals)

• Sept. – Household Results (Community)

• Oct. – Focus Group Results


HOW DO YOU WANT RESULTS REPORTED BACK? •  Presentations to Farm Board, Chapters- at regular meetings

•  Separate/independent workshops/presentations

•  Work with Navajo CHRs who will be trained and communicate results to clients

•  Work with schools

•  Teach-ins

•  Development of a video in English and Navajo

•  Posters, graphs, pictures


POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS •  In Tsédaak’áán Chapter, Larry Emerson

farm. May 2016

•  Phytoremediation - from phyto, meaning "plant", and remedium, meaning "restoring balance"

•  Using plants to clean contaminated soil, air, and water

•  Certain plants can draw up pollution and break it down into less harmful items

•  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoremediation

Tsédaak’áán Chapter, Larry Emerson farm. May 2016


HAURY CHALLENGE GRANT •  Better understand what are risks and concerns for future after

results are given back

•  Focus groups for Diné matriarch, youth, and farmers/ranchers

•  What does the community want and how can we help? –  More sampling?

–  Ways of fixing issues using sustainable technology?

•  Work with community to develop and carry out the “next steps”


WHAT HAVE WE WRITTEN? •  UA Superfund Research Program wrote a

fact sheet titled Understanding the Gold King Mine Spill and Gold Kine Mine Spill Community Sheet https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/info-material/gold-king-mine

•  UA undergrads who collected environmental samples wrote article about their experience: Water, Hogans, and Rockshttps://ubrp.arizona.edu/water-hogans-and-rocks/)

•  UA undergrads and study team co-write reflection "Water Is Our Life": How a Mining Disaster Affected the Navajo Nation http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36049-water-is-our-life-how-a-mining-disaster-affected-the-navajo-nation


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  Navajo EPA is collecting water samples and

have been monitoring the river before the Spill. Contact Steve Austin at Navajo EPA.

•  New Mexico State University collected soil samples immediately before and after the Spill and is now doing measurements using an instrument that provides immediate results. Contact Kevin Lombard or Brandon Francis.

•  University of New Mexico is doing research and recently published a paper. titled “Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed” by Lucia Rodriguez-Freire, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Native American Environmental Health Equity Research


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  https://www.env.nm.gov/river-water-safety

•  New Mexico Environmental Department is regularly monitoring NM streams upstream of the Navajo Nation

–  Their Monitoring Plan & data is online

•  NM Environmental Department has a listserve


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  https://www.env.nm.gov/

wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Animas-San-Juan-Risk-Dashboard.-2016.09.20.pdf

•  New Mexico has a Dashboard


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  https://www.env.nm.gov/

wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Animas-San-Juan-Risk-Dashboard.-2016.09.20.pdf

•  New Mexico has a Dashboard


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  NM Citizen Advisory Committee meets Monthly

•  https://www.env.nm.gov/river-water-safety/animas-river-citizens-advisory-committee-public-participation-page/

•  San Juan College Suns Room, Henderson Fine Arts Center from 5:30-7:30pm

•  For 2017: May 22, July 24, Sept 25 & Nov 27

•  For 2018: Jan 22, Mar 26


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  NM can test your soil

•  https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Instruction-Sheet_-GKM_SoilTestingNov2016.pdf l


WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? •  NM is holding a conference focusing on the Gold King Mine Spill

•  https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/


WHAT IS EPA DOING? •  US EPA is conducting ongoing

investigation. They related a Transport and Fate of Metals Report in Jan. 2017.

•  Website at: https://www.epa.gov/goldkingmine or Call toll-free: 844-607-9700. Technical inquiries: Lahne Mattas-Curry, [email protected]

•  On April 7, 2016, EPA proposed the Bonita Peak Mining District to the National Priorities List. The Gold King Mine is included as one of the potential sources contributing to the Bonita Peak Mining District site. View the Bonita Peak Mining District site.

EPA Report is at: https://www.epa.gov/goldkingmine/fate-transport-analysis


CONCLUSIONS • Environmental Sampling – We are testing for

Arsenic, Lead, and Manganese and will give back findings to the community in April (water) and July (soil/sediment) 2017.

• Household Sampling – We are putting findings into a computer and will give back findings to participants in August 2017 and then to the community in September 2017.

• Focus Groups – We are translating from Diné’ke’jí to English and analyzing what people said. We will give back findings to the community in October 2017.


OVERALL VISION

2 Yrs: Short term

risk

3-4 Yrs: Emergency Response

Plan

4 Yrs+ Community Resilience


FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

1R21ES026948-01

P42ES04940

SWEHSC Grant Number – P30 ES006694 Training Grant Number – T32 ES007091

1P20MD006872

5P50ES026089-02


HOW DO I GET UPDATES? •  Subscribe to List Serve and Quarterly Newsletters by emailing:

[email protected]

•  Like Facebook Page at Navajo Gold King Mine Spill Exposure Project

•  @goldminespillproject

•  View updates at Website at: https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/info-material/gold-king-mine

•  Contact Info is:

Karletta Chief

Dept. of Soil, Water & Environmental Sciences

PO Box 210038

Tucson, AZ 85737

(505) 652-4563 or 505-652-GKME


Questions?


LEAD AND ARSENIC IN NAVAJO • Lead (Pb) béésh dilyíhí

béésh dit’óódígíí dilyíhí

• Arsenic (As) béésh łibáhá Source: https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/files/bhorse03_naveng.pdf

Documents

2017 03 28 GKM Enviro Update 170329-email - … · funded by: partnerships: project update 3/28/17 karletta chief, paloma beamer, jani ingram, dean billheimer, mae-gilene begay, manley