Arizona governor negotiates pause in hauling of uranium ore across Navajo Nation

abcnews.go.com:

Arizona's governor says a uranium producer has agreed to temporarily pause transport of the mineral through the Navajo Nation after the tribe raised concerns related to a safety plan

PHOENIX — A uranium producer has agreed to temporarily pause the transport of the mineral through the Navajo Nation after the tribe raised concerns about the possible effects that it could have on the reservation.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said Friday that she intervened this week after talking with Navajo President Buu Nygren, who had come up with a plan to test a tribal law that bans uranium from being transported on its land.

Energy Fuels began hauling the ore Tuesday from its mine south of Grand Canyon National Park to a processing site in Blanding, Utah. When Nygren found out, he ordered tribal police to pull over the trucks and prevent them from traveling further. But by the time police arrived, the semi-trucks had left the reservation.

Energy Fuels said in a statement Friday that it agreed to a temporary pause “to address any reasonable concerns” held by Nygren. It recently started mining at the Pinyon Plain Mine in northern Arizona for the first time since the 1980s, driven by higher uranium prices and global instability. No other sites are actively mining uranium in Arizona.

“While Energy Fuels can legally restart transport at any time, pursuant to the current licenses, permits, and federal law, the company understands and respects President Nygren’s concern for his People, and wants to assure them that the company fully complies with all applicable laws and regulations,” the company said. “The U.S. has adopted the highest international standards for the transport of such materials, which are in place to protect human health and the