Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Community Project Funding will be used to reestablish and continue the 2022 Victims of Mills Tailings Exposure Cancer Screening Program that was originally funded through the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, And Related Agencies Appropriation Bill of 2009. The Utah Department of Public Health received over $400,000 in funding and then-Senators Hatch and Bennett made the program request for “health education and screening for citizens exposed to uranium mill tailings.” By way of background, the Monticello Mill was owned and operated by the United States Government between 1941 and the early 1960s. In 1989 the Environmental Protection Agency placed the Mill and the tailings site on the Department of Energy’s National Priority List for cleanup and removal of toxic waste. The locations were ultimately designated as superfund sites by 2000 and the US Government spent over $280 million on additional cleanup. Prior to this, however, the toxic waste polluted the air and waterways in the greater-Monticello community. This led to noticeably high rates of cancer diagnoses, some tragically resulting in death, which is why Senators Hatch and Bennett fought to bring more resources to the community to be used for cancer screening. In partnership with the Utah Department of Public Health, the then-Southeast Utah District Health Department (SEUDHD)administered the newly-established cancer screening program made possible by the Community Project Funding request. Individuals would call or visit the local SEUDHD, complete an application to determine eligibility, and could then receive a coucher for a doctor’s appointment at local hospitals or a health care provider in the community. To qualify, individuals needed to live in the greater Monticello community, which included the Blanding, roughly 20 miles South of Monticello, and Moab, about 70 miles North, between 1941-2000. If individuals qualified, they could receive a voucher from the SEUDHD to use to pay for a physical examination and then for a battery of cancer screens, namely skin cancers, lympoma, breast cancer, or cancers of the brain. Over 900 individuals were screened for cancer through this program, resulting in about 10% being diagnosed with cancer. This program would operate similarly and be led by San Juan County government. Individuals would visit the San Juan County government building or call the local office to determine if they are eligible. If they are, they would share their insurance status for San Juan County to take to the local hospitals and determine how much they would pay based off their insurance. San Juan County would pay whatever a patient’s insurance doesn’t cover for both the physical examination and for the cancer screen. For uninsured individuals, San Juan County would pay the full amount for both (if needed). We also acknowledge that residents living here during that time of the Mill operations may have moved out of the County, including out of State. Marketing efforts will include target marketing to former residents, employees, or employee families. In addition to funding for cancer screens, funds would be needed for three full-time Program Administrative Assistant who can push this project forward, communicate and market to local elected officials, hospitals, community centers, and attend town hall meetings in order to raise awareness about this program for FY22 and FY23. They would also coordinate needed resources for the County's marketing efforts and marketing coordinators for the implementation of marketing on regional/state digital, radio, and TV advertising for the program.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).