Arizona governor intercedes on uranium transport in Navajo Nation

When the company began moving the uranium a few weeks ago, Navajo leaders ordered tribal police to stop the trucks, citing a 2012 law that bans uranium transport through tribal land, which covers portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. However, there are exemptions in the legislation for state and federal highways that Energy Fuels plans to use.

Navajo Nation president Buu Nygren then issued an executive order stating there must be an agreement before uranium is transported through the reservation.

“My administration worked with Energy Fuels to voluntarily agree to pause ore shipments through Navajo lands to give both sides an opportunity to engage in good-faith negotiations,” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement. “[Energy Fuels will work with] stakeholders regarding safety concerns surrounding Pinyon Plain Mine and uranium ore transport. My hope is that these steps, and good-faith negotiations between both parties during the temporary pause, will bring an acceptable solution.”

Background: Energy Fuels is the largest uranium producer in the United States. Its product is increasingly significant to the nuclear industry as the nation works to cut ties with Russia’s uranium supply.

Energy Fuels’ chief executive Mark Chalmers said the company has already gone to great lengths to engage with stakeholders. He also defends the contents of the shipments, which comply with all legal and safety requirements. Uranium ore is a natural rock that contains just 1 percent uranium.

“Tens of thousands of trucks have safely transported uranium ore across northern Arizona since the 1980s with no adverse health or environmental effects,” Chalmers said. “Materials with far greater danger are transported every day on every road in the county. Ore is simply natural rock. It won’t explode, ignite, burn, or glow, contrary to what opponents claim.”

Navajo concerns: The Navajo Nation's opposition to uranium transport is deeply rooted in its history. From 1944 to 1990, extensive uranium mining on Navajo land led to severe health issues and environmental pollution. Many Navajo people who worked in the mines suffered from illnesses related to radiation exposure.

“I recognize the fraught history of uranium mining and the devastating impacts it has historically had on tribal nations,” Hobbs said. “That’s why I have called on the federal government to remediate sites and invest in the cleanup of contaminated state and tribal lands. I also strongly support extending and expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to provide assistance to those affected by uranium mining and nuclear testing.

What’s next: Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes issued a statement on the transport issue and is researching options, stating that it is unacceptable to proceed with uranium transport plans without an emergency plan in place.

In a statement, Energy Fuels said past uranium mining practices “unacceptably continue to impact many Navajo people today,” but the standards today are much different. The company looks forward to open, good-faith discussions with stakeholders.