Sonam_Christopher_Policy Brief-3
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Brown University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2400
Subject
Medicine
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by CommodoreWater17495
Online Master of Public Health
GPHP 2400: Health Care Systems & Policy
POLICY BRIEF
Toxic Waste Removal and Clean-Up on Native American Lands
Sonam Christopher, BSN, MPH Candidate, MSN Candidate, Brown University School of Public Health
Executive Summary
Native Americans living on, or around tribal lands suffer some of the worst health disparities in the United States in all areas, whether chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease or behavioral such as alcohol and substance abuse. Yet, the true impact of these mines on health disparities is not well understood due to the lack of research among Native American populations considering the limitations expressed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), such as their limited sample size and the inability of the results to be generalized. More research should incorporate tribal communities, and mining companies need to make their environmental stewardship policies clear when considering mining on tribal lands, and phytoremediation should be considered as a more ecological and cost-effective method of removing chemicals and metals from soil and water sources. More scientific data of toxicologic studies showing the direct impact of wastes from abandoned mines on native populations will drive timelier cleanup of these sites and ensure that the cleanup is truly beneficial to the health of the tribes. Background
There are 160,000 abandoned rock and uranium mines across the western United States, contaminating soil and water sources on Native American lands and contributing to the wide-ranging healthcare disparities in these communities. In the United States, over 600,000 Native Americans live within 10 km of an abandoned uranium and rock mine
1
. Drinking water from 500 abandoned uranium mines in the Navajo Nation has been poisoning residents’ drinking water for generations causing elevated rates of kidney failure and lung disease
2
. For example, it was discovered that for more than a decade in one Navajo community, the regulated community drinking water supply was found to have
Online Master of Public Health
GPHP 2400: Health Care Systems & Policy
POLICY BRIEF
exceeded MCLs from contamination from a 1979 uranium mill
1
. This was discovered two months before the lead was detected in the Flint, MI, water supply. Yet, the community was
not notified, and there was no public outcry or allocation of resources.
A United Nations study showed that worldwide, hazardous waste dumping leaves indigenous peoples with decades-long health and psychological trauma
3
. An anomaly that should be of grave concern for public health officials is that cancer mortality rates have increased in the Native American population compared to the decrease seen in Whites from 1990 to 2009
1
. The true impact of these mines on health disparities is not well understood due to the lack of research among Native American populations considering the
limitations expressed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), such as their limited sample size and the inability of the results to be generalized
4
. Policy Options
To accurately determine the impact that abandoned mines are having on native populations in the United States, more studies should be done specifically on Native American populations, tribal communities should be involved in all phases and aspects of research, tribal institutional review boards should oversee and control the
research process, the data and specimens from the research should remain the property of the tribes and the conditions for data sharing and various types of genetic analyses should be mandated by the tribes. Research aimed at studying Native American health disparities more closely, that adheres to tribal demands for beneficence and is sensitive to cultural practices is important in providing accurate information to allocate adequate funding to Native
populations. To start Native Americans on a path to health equity, adequate funding that supports evidence-based, outcome-based, and community-based approaches is essential
5
.
Any corporation interested in mining on tribal land should disclose their Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) policies and pollution reduction measures to tribal members in their social responsibility statements. Indigenous people communities in South America and have had favorable outcomes in preventing deforestation and encroachment of their lands by
Online Master of Public Health
GPHP 2400: Health Care Systems & Policy
POLICY BRIEF
corporations by being strong advocates for strengthening right-to-know laws and the
use of FPIC prior to any establishment of polluting activities in their lands
6
.
Incorporate phytoremediation practices to remove wastes from soil and water sources on tribal lands.
There are microorganisms that can become resistant to heavy metals and reduce or adsorb them in non-toxic form. These organisms can be used in polluted soils as environmental and economical method of removing hazardous wastes from contaminated soil
7
. Both, bioremediation, and phytoremediation are favorable options for the detoxification of heavy metal-polluted soils. The mechanism of plant-
assisted bioremediation along with bioavailability, uptake, translocation, sequestration, and different defense mechanisms has been utilized in Ukraine and India with success in producing heavy metal stress-resistant cultivars and highly efficient plant species in harmony with microflora through genetic engineering technologies
8
. Recommendation
I recommend that the NIH form specific guidelines for research pertaining to Native Americans that specifically involve tribal communities in all phases and aspects of research. This policy has the most significant impact on determining the true impact of toxic chemicals. This policy has a wider impact not only on toxic wastes but the impact on certain chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and any genetic indicators that
may be unique to native populations. Native Americans face significant health care inequity
with clinician shortages and researchers. The NIH sites the ethical concern that using research collected from Native American populations will not pertain to the general population. Yet, current practice generalizes data from the dominant non-tribal land population resulting in policies affecting native populations that are more beneficial to the dominant culture. References
1.
Lewis J., Hoover J. & Mackenzie D. Mining and Environmental Health Disparities in Native American Communities.
Current Environmental Health Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-017-0140-5. Published April 26, 2017, Accessed February 20, 2023. 2.
Manjeshwar S. How native lands became a target for nuclear waste. Outrider. https://outrider.org/nuclear-weapons/articles/how-native-lands-
became-target-nuclear-waste. Published August 16, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2023.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Online Master of Public Health
GPHP 2400: Health Care Systems & Policy
POLICY BRIEF
3.
Exposure to toxic substances a form of environmental violence against indigenous peoples: Un expert. OHCHR. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-
releases/2022/10/exposure-toxic-substances-form-environmental-violence-against-indigenous. Published October 21, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2023. 4.
Brook, D., Environmental Genocide: Native Americans and Toxic Waste. American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 1998;57: 105-
113.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1536-7150.1998.tb03260.x
5.
Smith, M. Native Americans: A Crisis in Health Equity. Human Rights. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/the-state-of-healthcare-in-the-united-states/native-
american-crisis-in-health-equity/
6.
Fernández‐Llamazares, Á., Garteizgogeascoa, M., Basu, N., Brondízio, E.S., Cabeza, M., Martínez-Alier, J. McElwee, P., & Reyes‐García, V. A State‐of‐the‐Art Review of Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Pollution.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 2019;
16
,
324 - 341.
7.
Pandey V.C. Bio-inspired land remediation. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-04931-6#bibliographic-
information. Published January 3, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2023. 8.
Tucker C. Toxic Algae Returns to Klamath Reservoirs. News from Native California
. 2007;21(1):10. Accessed March 7, 2023. https://search-
ebscohost-com.revproxy.brown.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fph&AN=27417428&site=ehos-live&scope=site