Uranium Ore Transport Resumes Amid Navajo Nation’s Concerns
The recent resumption of uranium ore transport through the Navajo Nation has stirred significant concern among its residents and leaders. Despite ongoing opposition and extensive negotiations, the transportation of uranium ore from a mine near the Grand Canyon has recommenced, highlighting the complex jurisdictional challenges involved.
In a live social media broadcast on Tuesday, acting Navajo Attorney General Heather Clah expressed the tribe’s limited power in preventing the uranium ore shipments. The haul route comprises state and federal highways, including U.S. 89, U.S. 160, and U.S. 191, over which the tribe lacks jurisdiction.
Clah emphasized, “So, the next best thing that we needed to go ahead and do is to make sure that we protected our Navajo Nation people. So that’s why we took the approach of negotiating terms in order to make sure that this agreement provides those protections.”
As part of the newly established agreement, Navajo officials have secured the right to inspect truckloads before they traverse the reservation. The transport is restricted to weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and is prohibited during certain holidays and cultural events, ensuring minimal disruption to the community.
Additional measures include emergency response protocols, enhanced driver qualifications and training, and improved covering of the ore loads. Stephen Etsitty, executive director of the tribe’s Environmental Protection Agency, stated that the mine operates under full permits from state and federal bodies. “We took that and trying to develop as many mechanisms as we can to push the limits of regulation and oversight on this transport activity for the benefit of our communities. And that’s where we remain focused,” Etsitty shared.
The uranium ore transport resumed on February 12, with two 25-ton trucks leaving the Pinyon Plain Mine, near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, heading to the White Mesa mill in southern Utah. The route crosses several northern Arizona communities, including Williams and Flagstaff, as well as a significant portion of the Navajo Nation.
Looking ahead, the tribe anticipates a daily passage of up to 10 trucks for the next two to four years. The Pinyon Plain Mine, situated within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, remains operational due to preexisting rights, despite the area’s designation by President Joe Biden in 2023.
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