Navajo Nation attempted to stop semi trucks hauling uranium through tribal land after company breaks “promise”

The president of the Navajo Nation unsuccessfully attempted to stop two semi trucks from hauling uranium through tribal land this week. 

Back in 2012, the Navajo Nation passed the Radioactive and Related Substances Equipment, Vehicles, Persons and Materials Transportation Act. This act technically banned the transport of uranium through the tribe’s reservation, but is not legally enforceable on highways due to a technicality, reported KJZZ.

On Tuesday, July 30th, two trucks hauling uranium from the Pinyon Plain Mine in Coconino County, Arizona started their 300 mile route from the mine, taking them through the reservation. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren says that this trip was conducted without advanced notice or warning from the company, Energy Fuels, breaking a promise the company made to the Navajo Nation. 

“I felt like they were testing the waters on how serious is the Navajo Nation president, is he really going to try to stop us,” Nygren said. “I wanted to make it very clear that if you’re going to undermine us and do something undercover behind our backs, then we’re going to not play around.”

I have deployed Navajo Police to stop the illegal transport of uranium across the reservation.

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – “I am very disappointed that uranium is being hauled across our Navajo Nation right now,” President Nygren said. “I was notified 30 minutes ago, and I have… pic.twitter.com/2HLKv2g7u8

— Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren (@BuuVanNygren) July 30, 2024

The trucks hauled the uranium south along State Route 64 through Tusayan to Williams, then east along Interstate 40 to Flagstaff and onto U.S. 89 and 160 through Cameron, Tuba City and Kayenta, before reaching their destination – White Mesa Mill in southeastern Utah. 

When he learned of the uranium transport, Nygren ordered tribal police to stop the commercial vehicles, but the semi trucks were already off of tribal land by the time officers caught up to them. Now, he says the tribal police will enact roadblocks on federal highways to prevent the material from crossing through tribal land in the future, reported AP News.

“We can confirm that the county was not notified by Energy Fuels in advance,” said Stephen Pelligrini with the Coconino County Manager’s Office, “despite an agreement that all stakeholders including Coconino County would be notified two weeks prior to hauling commencing.”

Energy Fuels claims that it did notify federal, state, county and tribal officials about the transportation of the ore 10 days before the haul, but did not give a specific date for the transport.

The Havasupai Tribal Council claimed in a statement that the agreement between the nation and the company to notify before transport of the uranium was made “months ago” and  “relied on this good faith promise from [Energy Fuels] in order to provide notice to its own tribal members and other interested parties for their own protection.”

“[Energy Fuels] blatantly disregarded its good faith promise and notified the U.S. Forest Service hours after the haul trucks departed the mine site,” the statement said. “[Energy Fuels] has confirmed by its actions today that it cannot be trusted.”

“We’ll see you guys in court,” Nygren said. 

“We gave you right-of-ways to build state routes, but it’s still our lands,” Nygren said. “These are within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation, and that’s what you respect first: Don’t take advantage of that and not even give us a heads-up.”

A spokesperson for Energy Fuels has since stated that the company is “not required to provide two weeks’ notice, nor did the company promise to do so.”

“Tens of thousands of thousands of trucks have safely transported uranium ore across northern Arizona since the 1980s with no adverse health or environmental effects,” said the company’s president and chief executive, Mark Chalmers, in a statement. ”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.”