Uranium Ore Transportation Resumes Amid Community Concerns
Transport of uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine near the Grand Canyon has recommenced, stirring community reactions. This development follows a recent agreement with the Navajo Nation, allowing the ore to transit the reservation once more.
Energy Fuels, the company managing the mine, confirmed the dispatch of two trucks carrying uranium ore to the White Mesa mill in Utah. Curtis Moore, the senior vice president of marketing and corporate development at Energy Fuels, stated, “Energy Fuels has transported several hundred thousand tons of uranium ore across the Navajo Nation in several thousand trucks over the past 20 years, without any accidents or incidents resulting in the release of ore, and no impacts to the communities along the route.” The latest shipments reportedly reached their destination without any issues.
The transportation route traverses several northern Arizona towns, such as Flagstaff and Williams, and covers a significant portion of the Navajo Nation via U.S. Highways 89 and 160. The Navajo Environmental Protection Agency conducted inspections of the ore loads in Cameron prior to their passage through the reservation. According to Navajo EPA officials, there will be two shipments daily for the rest of the month, potentially increasing to four.
Despite the recent agreement, which stipulates specific times for transporting the ore, there remains local resistance. Last year, Navajo President Buu Nygren threatened to halt the shipments due to a lack of prior notification to the tribe. Uranium hauling was banned by the Navajo Nation in 2012.
The Pinyon Plain Mine represents the sole active uranium mine within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, designated by President Joe Biden in 2023. Despite the designation, the mine continues operations.
Opposition remains strong among Indigenous groups and local officials. The Haul No! organization actively protests the transport of uranium ore, and the Flagstaff City Council has voiced opposition, citing community safety and environmental concerns. An official statement from the council reads, “The Flagstaff City Council continues to advocate against the mining of uranium and its transport in and through our region, including passing multiple resolutions and supporting federal legislation that would restrict uranium mining and transport. While the Flagstaff City Council opposes the transport of uranium ore through our community, the City Council does not have jurisdiction over federal or state highways.”
In addition, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors reaffirmed their stance against uranium shipments near key areas such as the Grand Canyon National Park. Their resolution highlights the potential environmental risks and cultural impacts, stating, “Uranium mining within the boundaries of the National Monument has no meaningful benefit to the County’s quest for energy independence and given it is incompatible with cultural values, poses a substantial environmental risk, threatens tribal lands and the homeland of the Havasupai people, and threatens irrevocable harm to the Grand Canyon’s aquifers, springs and streams.”
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