Attorney General Kris Mayes expressed serious concerns over the transportation of uranium ore through Arizona's tribal lands without due notice. Mayes released a statement following reports that Energy Fuels Resources, Inc. (EFRI) was found transporting the material without informing concerned communities, a move that breaks with their previous commitment. Notified a mere hours after trucks left Pinyon Plain Mine, local and tribal officials learned of the activity, which crosses through Navajo, Havasupai, and Hopi lands, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
The uranium ore's journey from the mine to a processing facility in Blanding, Utah, has raised multiple red flags, especially as stakeholders such as the Havasupai Tribe, who rely on the affected groundwater as their only drinking source, were not given the promised two-week notice. In a statement obtained by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, Attorney General Mayes said, "Hauling radioactive materials through rural Arizona, including across the Navajo Nation, without providing notice or transparency and without providing an emergency plan is unacceptable."
Concerns were further amplified by Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman, who noted that multiple requests for EFRI's emergency response plan received no answer. Despite being located on the land of sovereign nations, the mining operation appears to lack stakeholder engagement and fails to reassure that local groundwater resources will remain untainted by their activities.
Attorney General Mayes underscored the significance of groundwater to the Havasupai Tribe, guardians of the Grand Canyon, mentioning that their right to a safe environment must be respected by companies like EFRI. "The Havasupai are the guardians of the Grand Canyon – our Arizona and National treasure, and they deserve to know that their groundwater will be protected," Mayes said in the statement. Echoing concerns regarding an environmental assessment for the mine that dates back to 1986, authorities are now considering options to ensure community safety and uphold the sovereignty and rights of the Navajo, Hopi, and Havasupai Nations.
