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| SPONSOR: | Pinto | DATE TYPED: | 02/01/99 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Uranium Mining Health Effects | SB | 205 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Kehoe | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY99 | FY2000 | FY99 | FY2000 | ||
| $ 150.0 | $ 0.0 | $ 0.0 | Recurring | GF | |
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of Indian Affairs
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 205 appropriates $150,000 from the general fund to the Office of Indian Affairs to contract with an organization in Shiprock to gather data and identify the effects of uranium mining on uranium mine workers in northwest New Mexico.
Significant Issues
In 1992, federal legislation entitled the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, was passed to compensate thousands of former uranium miners who suffered from cancer and respiratory illnesses caused by the mining of radioactive material while working for the uranium mining industry between 1947 to 1971. Not covered under the federal legislation are other workers such as uranium millers and transportation workers who suffered similar illnesses. Of over 500 such Navajo miners living in New Mexico, more than 90% do not speak, read or write English.
Senate Bill 205 would provide the necessary gathering of such data and a database would be created to enhance the study of health effects of uranium mining on miners including uranium millers and transportation workers.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The Office of Indian Affairs would act as the fiscal agent, but would contract the services to be provided.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The administrative impact to the Office of Indian Affairs would be minimal.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
· Has the New Mexico Department of Health gathered data pertinent to the health effects and number of uranium miners in New Mexico, including Navajos, that have been effected by uranium mining?
LMK/gm