(The Center Square) – Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking for more research on the Pinyon Plain Mine’s environmental impact after the transportation of two uranium ore trucks through the Navajo Nation last month caused a stir between the mine’s operator and tribal leadership.
The “supplemental Environmental Impact Study” would be conducted by the United States Forest Service if it agrees. The mine is located in northern Arizona, and the ore gets driven to a mill in Utah.
“The most recent environmental impact study on this mine is nearly four decades old and relies on outdated data,” Mayes said in a statement. Her letter specifically cited concerns about groundwater being negatively impacted.
“With scientific advancements in the 21st century and new insights into aquifer connectivity, it is critical that the U.S. Forest Service conduct a supplemental study for the Pinyon Plain Mine. We must protect the water supplies that sustain the Havasupai Tribe and other communities in Northern Arizona. The risks are too great to ignore, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating for this region’s people, wildlife, and cultural heritage,” her statement continued.
However, Energy Fuels, the company who runs the mine, said it is confident in the information that’s currently being used.
“The 1986 EIS was reviewed and reaffirmed by the USFS in 2012. It has been upheld numerous times in Federal Court, including as recently as 2022 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco,” the company said in a statement. “ADEQ also reaffirmed the no-impact to groundwater determinations in the EIS in 2022. Energy Fuels continues to comply with all current approvals, regulations, and science to ensure protection of human health and the environment.”
The Hobbs administration touted a pause worked out with Energy Fuels and the Navajo Nation following the debacle while more details are handled. The nation cited radiation concerns, whereas the company says there’s relatively low risk with the rock being transported within regulations. Although the state government does not have control over tribes, it will sometimes serve as a mediator in situations like this.
Although there was a stakeholder meeting done with tribal leadership prior to shipment, the company told The Center Square that there a two-week notice was not “promised.”
After the controversial transport, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren issued an Executive Order requiring an agreement before “radioactive material” can be driven through the reservation for the next six months, The Center Square reported.