Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Energy Fuels Resources Inc. (EFRI) would voluntarily halt transporting uranium ore through Navajo Nation lands to Utah shortly after the tribe’s president issued an executive order banning the action.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren issued the order on Wednesday requiring an agreement to be in place prior to the transportation of radioactive materials through tribal lands on July 31. According to a news release from Navajo Nation, the executive order will be in effect for the next six months.
Hobbs stated in a news release on Friday that she had spoken with Nygren about EFRI’s transport of uranium ore through tribal lands and that she is committed to being a partner to the Navajo Nation as it navigates the dispute.
“As of Tuesday night, my administration worked with EFRI to voluntarily agree to pause ore shipments through Navajo lands to give both sides an opportunity to engage in good faith negotiations,” Hobbs said in the release. “I have also instructed DEMA [Department of Emergency and Military Affairs] to partner with tribal law enforcement and assist the Navajo Nation’s emergency management team in developing an emergency response plan in the event of a road incident.”
Additionally, Hobbs said EFRI has agreed to hold discussions with stakeholders regarding safety concerns surrounding Pinyon Plain Mine and uranium ore transport.
“I recognize the fraught history of uranium mining and the devastating impacts it has historically had on tribal nations,” Hobbs stated in the release. “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.”
Background
Navajo Nation occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah. According to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency, there are over 500 abandoned uranium mines on and near Navajo Nation, as well as homes and water sources with elevated levels of radiation. The EPA notes that potential health effects of radiation exposure include lung cancer, bone cancer and impaired kidney function.
In his Wednesday news release, Nygren said the executive order would ensure the safety of the Navajo people and uphold the nation’s sovereignty.
He said laws regarding the transportation of radioactive materials have been in place for well over a decade, citing the Navajo Nation Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005 and the Navajo Nation’s 2012 Radioactive and Related Substances, Equipment, Vehicles, Persons and Materials Transportation Act.
“We’re a land of laws,” Nygren stated in the release. “As the executive branch, as the President of the Navajo Nation, we’re here to enforce these laws to make sure nobody’s breaking these laws.”
The news release states that on July 30, EFRI, owner of the Pinyon Plain Mine, did not provide notice to Navajo Nation officials of the transport of about 50 tons of uranium ore through tribal lands via semi-truck. Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch said anyone who comes into Navajo territory must be responsible and comply with Navajo law.
“Particularly with something as sensitive as uranium, where there is a long legacy of contamination and disproportionate impact to the Navajo people,” Branch said in the release. “Anyone bringing those substances onto the Nation should undertake that activity with respect and sensitivity to the psychological impact to our people, as well as the trauma of uranium development that our community continues to live with every day.”
EFRI did not immediately respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment.
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