Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken a firm step towards environmental due diligence by requesting a supplemental Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the Pinyon Plain Uranium Mine, an effort challenging the adequacy of the nearly four-decade-old data that currently informs the mine's potential impact on Northern Arizona's water resources. In a letter addressed to the U.S. Forest Service, shared by the Arizona Attorney General's office, Mayes underscored concerns for the reliable and clean water supply crucial to the Havasupai Tribe and others in the region.
The call for action is not just a matter of bureaucratic formality but a response to the significant threats to the Coconino and Redwall-Muav Aquifers. These aquifers are essential lifelines, sustaining both the Havasupai Tribe and the broader interconnected ecosystems.. Attorney General Mayes stated, "The most recent environmental impact study on this mine is nearly four decades old and relies on outdated data."
The Arizona Attorney General's office is addressing a critical issue where the need to balance respect for ancestral heritage with environmental protection is becoming clear. "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," Attorney General Mayes emphasized.
