Eastern Agency Council meeting: uranium mining planned on Tsoodził
GALLUP
After eight and a half hours, the Eastern Agency Council concluded its meeting today with a light report on a proposed reinitiation of uranium mining near the sacred Turquoise Mountain.
The final speaker of the day, addressing an increasingly weary audience, was Heidi McRoberts, the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands supervisor, who introduced the proposed “Reinitiation of the La Jara Mesa Uranium Mine Project in the Mt. Taylor Ranger District.”
“I’m going to keep this very brief because I know it has been a long day,” McRoberts said. “I just want to make it very clear. We are not the mining company. They (Laramide Resources Ltd.) are proposing this uranium mine project on National Forest system land. The mine is located at the base of Mount Taylor.”
Laramide Resources Ltd., a Canadian-based company, explores and develops uranium mines in Australia and the United States.
McRoberts said the proposed mine is a traditional underground operation at the base of Lara Mesa, approximately 10 miles northeast of Grants, New Mexico. The project is expected to disturb 16 acres of National Forest system land and an additional 100 acres of private land. As a dry mine, it would not impact aquifers. However, over its projected 20-year lifespan, daily water use is estimated between 34,000 and 50,000 gallons to sustain operations and facilities.
The extracted ore would be temporarily stockpiled, with uranium ore confirmed for transport to the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah – the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the U.S. The mill site is adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument and near the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s White Mesa community.
McRoberts also addressed the need for government-to-government consultation with the Navajo Nation president and the 25th Navajo Nation Council. She emphasized that efforts are underway to fulfill obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, alongside broader governmental consultation. She reiterated the importance of continued community engagement, acknowledging that discussions with several chapters had provided valuable input from residents.
Accountability, governance
Held at the Manuelito Chapter House, the meeting brought together 23 of the 31 Eastern Navajo chapters, where officials and the community engaged in discussions on accountability and governance to start the new month. Among the highlights were three students from Navajo Technical University presenting on integrating Diné Bizaad with artificial intelligence, Vice President Richelle Montoya providing a statement of her capacity as second in command, and a failed resolution that would have changed the Nation’s Campaign Expense Laws to a smaller penalty under which candidates pay $250.
The Eastern Agency Council provided an open platform for key speakers to present reports relevant to its chapters.
Read more in the March 6, edition of the Navajo Times.
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