Company wants lower groundwater contamination standards

GRANTS, N.M. (AP) — A company wants New Mexico to set a lower standard for groundwater contamination at the site of a uranium mine it has spent more than a decade cleaning up. The Gallup Independent (http://bit.ly/2o70OE6) reports United Nuclear Corp. is asking state regulators to approve a variance thousands of times above current groundwater standards. The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission scheduled a public hearing for next month. The company operated the St. Anthony Mine from 1975-1981 and started cleaning up the site in 2004. It consists of two open pits and one underground mine. The New Mexico Environment Department is recommending the commission accept the alternate limits. Monitoring wells continue to show groundwater being affected by levels of contaminants.