Navajo Nation Enforces Uranium Transport Ban

The Navajo Nation, led by President Buu Nygren, is enforcing a 2012 tribal law that bans the transportation of uranium across its lands by ordering police to stop trucks carrying the mineral. This action follows concerns over lack of notification from Energy Fuels Inc., which has been transporting uranium ore from northern Arizona to Utah. The Navajo Nation's past experiences with uranium mining, which have led to severe health and environmental issues, underpin the tribe's strong stance on this matter. While federal and state highways are exempt from the ban, Nygren and Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch believe they are on solid legal ground to enact roadblocks. Energy Fuels Inc. contends that it followed legal protocols and that transporting uranium ore poses no significant health risks. The dispute is likely to require higher court intervention to resolve.