Navajo Nation and Energy Fuels reach agreement on uranium ore transport, cleanup efforts
By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times
WINDOW ROCK — Before a six-month Navajo Nation executive order prohibiting the transport of uranium ore through the Nation expires, an agreement between Energy Fuels Inc. and the Nation was signed.
Energy Fuels Inc. is a leading U.S. producer of uranium and rare earth elements. The Navajo Nation would govern the transport of uranium ore through tribal lands, and state roads, and assist Energy Fuels in the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines.
The agreement marks an important step in addressing concerns stemming from decades of uranium mining on Navajo lands, which have left a legacy of contamination and health issues.
The deal allows Energy Fuels to resume transporting uranium ore from its Pinyon Plain Mine in northern Arizona to the White Mesa Mill in southern Utah. Transportation is expected to begin in February 2025, following new safety measures agreed upon between the company and the Navajo Nation.
To read the full article, please see the Jan. 30, edition of the Navajo Times.
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