House urges federal funding for Monticello mill-tailings victims after local testimony about cancer rates

The House on March 14 passed SCR 10, a concurrent resolution urging the federal government to ensure continued funding for cancer education, screening and treatment services for residents of Monticello and surrounding San Juan County who were exposed to uranium mill tailings decades ago.

Representative Noel, sponsor of the resolution, described community concern after meeting local residents and health providers. He said residents reported elevated cancer rates in Monticello dating to mid-20th-century mill-tailings disposal and recounted screening results tied to a federally funded rural health outreach program that detected new cancers and precancerous findings.

“No one gets in… this goes on at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Being a cancer survivor myself, I know how important it is to diagnose these cancers early and what this does is, allow for some funding just to pay to get people up to the clinic to get the screenings and get back home,” Noel said.

Representative Arendt urged continued federal focus, citing groundwater and exposure concerns and thanking Congressman Matheson for prior efforts. The resolution passed the House by a recorded vote of 71 yes and 1 no and will be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.

The sponsor emphasized that the contamination stemmed from a federal project producing uranium and said renewed federal assistance is appropriate to address long-term health effects.