(Photo courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency)

Navajo Nation abandoned uranium mines superfund cleanup sites.

Navajo Nation officials said the federal government has agreed to give more than $13 million for a cleanup evaluation of abandoned uranium mines across the reservation. The U.S. Department of Justice will investigate 16 mine sites.

Tribal officials said this is a necessary step before final cleanup decisions can be made. About 4 million tons of uranium ore were extracted during mining operations within the Navajo Nation from 1944 to 1986. Many tribal members worked in and near the mines and Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly said countless Navajos suffered from health and environmental impacts from uranium contamination.

The Navajo Nation encompasses more than 27,000 square miles within Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.