Church Rock, New Mexico

Church Rock, New Mexico
—  CDP  —
Nickname(s): Churchrock Chapter
Location of Church Rock, New Mexico
Coordinates: 35°32′6″N 108°36′42″W / 35.535°N 108.61167°W / 35.535; -108.61167Coordinates: 35°32′6″N 108°36′42″W / 35.535°N 108.61167°W / 35.535; -108.61167
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	McKinley
Government
– Type	Chapter Government
– President	Johnnie Henry Jr.
– Vice-President	Robinson Kelly
– Secretary-Treasurer	Louise Jim
– Tribal Council Member	Edmund Yazzie
Area
– Total	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)
– Land	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	6,686 ft (2,038 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	1,077
– Density	450.7/sq mi (174.0/km2)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
– Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code	87311
Area code(s)	505
FIPS code	35-15370
GNIS feature ID	0902212
Website	www.churchrock.nndes.org

Church Rock (Navajo: Kinłitsosinil) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. It is within the Navajo Nation. The population was 1,077 at the 2000 census.

Navajo Nation government

2004-2008 Chapter Official	2004-2008 Council Delegate	2004-2008 Administration
Johnny Livingston, President	Charles S. Damon II	Alice Largo, Coordinator
Robinson Kelly, Vice-President	Ernest D. Yazzie Jr.	Deeanna Washee,
Sherman Woody, Secretary/Treasurer		Titus Jay Nez, Office Assistant
Vanessa Begay-Lee, Grazing Official

2008-2012 Chapter Official	2008-2012 Council Delegate	2008-2012 Administration
Johnnie Henry Jr., President	Charles S. Damon II	Brian H. Chee, Coordinator
Robinson Kelly, Vice-President	Ernest D. Yazzie Jr.	Deeanna Washee, Office Specialist
Louise Jim, Secretary/Treasurer		Michelle Johns, Office Assistant
Emery Chee, Grazing Official		Titus Jay Nez, Senior Planner/Staff Assistant

Geography

Church Rock is located at 35°32′6″N 108°36′42″W / 35.535°N 108.61167°W / 35.535; -108.61167 (35.534961, -108.611593).^[1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.83%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 1,077 people, 258 households, and 214 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 450.7 people per square mile (174.0/km²). There were 299 housing units at an average density of 125.1 per square mile (48.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.14% Native American, 0.65% White, 0.09% African American, 0.28% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 258 households out of which 56.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 31.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.17 and the average family size was 4.65.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 42.2% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 15.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $28,958. Males had a median income of $23,529 versus $21,016 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $6,780. About 34.3% of families and 36.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Uranium mining

See also: Church Rock uranium mill spill

On July 16, 1979, the dam at a United Nuclear Corporation (based in Virginia) Church Rock uranium mill was breached and spilled 1,100 tons of milled uranium ore and 94 million US gallons (360,000 m³) of heavy metal effluent into the Puerco River.^[3] This was the largest release of radioactive waste in U.S. history, but until recently, no epidemiological studies were undertaken of the effects on the population.^[4] With the declining uranium market, two of the mines closed in 1983 and the third closed in February 1986.^[5]

In 2003 the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project was initiated by the Churchrock Chapter of the Navajo Nation to assess environmental impacts of abandoned uranium mines and build capacity to conduct community-based research with policy implications.^[6] Its May 2007 report found that significant radiation from both natural and mining sources remains in the area; the community is dedicated to remedy the problem as much as possible.^[6]

In 2005 the Navajo Nation prohibited any further uranium mining in the nation. In 2008 the US EPA and the Navajo EPA began a five-year plan to identify and ameliorate areas contaminated by uranium mining; their priority has been water sources and structures.^[7]

Culture

Inter Tribal Ceremonial (August) brings thousands of visitors and members of almost all Indian tribes to Red Rock State Park.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Church Rock is the location of Fire Rock Casino, which opened on November 19, 2008.

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Wasserman, Harvey & Norman Solomon (1982). KILLING OUR OWN: The Disaster of America's Experience with Atomic Radiation, Delta Book Ch. 9 http://www.ratical.org/radiation/KillingOurOwn/KOO9.html
4. ^ Doug Brugge, PhD, MS, Jamie L. deLemos, MS and Cat Bui, BS, "The Sequoyah Corporation Fuels Release and the Church Rock Spill: Unpublicicized Nuclear Releases in American Indian Communities", American Journal of Public Health, September 2007, Vol 97, No. 9, pp. 1595-1600, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.103044 PDF version
5. ^ Shuey, Chris (1992). "Contaminant Loading on the Puerco River: A Historical Overview", Southwest Research and Information Center Albuquerque, New Mexico, 14 October 1992. http://www.sric.org/uranium/PUERCO92.html
6. ^ ^{a b} Shuey, Chris et al (2007). REPORT OF THE CHURCH ROCK URANIUM MONITORING PROJECT 2003-2007, CHURCHROCK CHAPTER, NAVAJO NATION, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER and NAVAJO EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION, Window Rock, Navajo Nation (Arizona), USA. http://www.sric.org/uranium/CRUMPReportSummary.pdf
7. ^ Felicia Fonseca, "Navajo woman helps prompt uranium mine cleanup", Associated Press, carried in Houston Chronicle, 5 September 2011, accessed 5 October 2011

External links

• Church Rock Chapter of the Navajo Nation
• http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/water/contributions/civilsociety/ForgottenPeople.pdf
• http://www.sric.org/uranium/PUERCO92.html
• http://www.sric.org/uranium/CRUMPReportSummary.pdf
• http://www.ratical.org/radiation/KillingOurOwn/KOO9.html