On Thursday, during a brief Q&A, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly asked Lee Zeldin, the nominee for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for his support to address legacy mine cleanup in the West during his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Environment & Public Works.
“Especially Arizona on the Navajo Nation…we have about 500 of them,” Kelly said, emphasizing the Nation’s uphill battle navigating the bureaucratic process of the Superfund law.
These delays have resulted in little progress, groundwater contamination and radiation-related cancer cases.
Kelly asked Zeldin for his support to back the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act, a bill he co-sponsored, which would create a regional Office called the Office of Mountains, Deserts and Plains to accelerate mine clean-up across the West.
Zeldin agreed.
Kelly also raised concerns about groundwater, a vital backup drinking water source for Phoenix and Tucson, as the West continues grappling with worsening drought conditions.
“Mr. Zeldin, if confirmed, will you commit to working with my team and the City of Tucson to address the Tucson PFAS contamination?” Kelly asked.
“Yes, Senator,” Zeldin replied.
