Uranium transportation temporarily halted through the Navajo Nation

Uranium ore transports through the Navajo Nation in Arizona to a mill in Utah are temporarily stopped.

Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office announced Thursday night that a call between Energy Fuels, which runs the Pinyon Plain mine, and tribal leaders resulted in the pause while both parties involved hammer out a solution.

“Tonight, I spoke with President Nygren about EFRI’s transport of uranium ore through tribal lands. I committed to being a partner to the Navajo Nation as they navigate the dispute and shared actions the State is taking to ensure a resolution,” Hobbs said in a statement.

“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. I have also instructed [the 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,” she added.

Although tribal nations are not technically under the purview of state laws, they will sometimes work in tandem with the state government or have them serve as a middleman in moments like this. Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office is also “researching” legal paths forward after the trucks drove through the reservation on Tuesday. The Center Square reported that Energy Fuels held a stakeholder meeting that included tribal officials on July 19, but said that the tribe was not promised a two-week notification.

In a news release earlier this week, Energy Fuels said they followed all legal guidelines and that the radiation risk from ore itself is low. Uranium ore is used to develop nuclear energy.

“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,” the company’s President and CEO Mark Chalmers stated.

As the two trucks were driving through the reservation on Tuesday, President Buu Nygren ordered tribal law enforcement to try and stop the trucks, which ended up successfully making it to Utah. On Wednesday, Nygren issued an Executive Order for a prior agreement before “radioactive material” is transported through the nation for six months, according to a news release.

“This was much needed,” Nygren said in a statement. “We're taking this stance of interpreting and executing the law to ensure the safety of our people and respect for Navajo sovereignty. It's our job as the executive branch to enforce these laws.”

“If you're going to smuggle uranium into our borders and across our Nation and outside, that's pretty much illegal,” he continued. “I’m very disappointed that this is happening in this day and age.”

As for intervening from the governor’s office, neither the Nation nor the energy company responded in time for publication.