The Pinyon Plain uranium mine 10 miles south of the Grand Canyon has begun production of ore. It is surrounded by the Grand Canyon National Park and the Navajo Nation and within the new Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni national monument that Joe Biden designated last year. The Tribal President Buu Nygren has rightfully banned uranium transportation across Navajo land. However, the mine is free to haul this uranium ore on Arizona highways US 89 and US 180, which fall under the jurisdiction of Arizona’s Department of Transportation and not the tribes, even though the roadway is within the reservation boundaries and passes within a few miles of Tuba City, a large population center. Also State Route SR 64 the main tourist access to the South Rim is not a route that should have truckloads of radioactive ore. 
 

There are currently 524 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation that are yet to be cleaned up. Uranium mining and transportation have long been associated with severe health risks including lung cancer and kidney disease. The Navajo people have suffered disproportionately from these effects due to their proximity to uranium mines and transport routes. Despite countless treaties granting most indigenous nations sovereign nation status, economic factors often overshadow their rights.

We are calling on Governor Katie Hobbs to request that the Arizona Department of Transportation respect and enforce President Nygren's ban on uranium transportation across Navajo lands, specifically on Hwy US 89, US 160 & SR 64. This is not just about respecting tribal sovereignty - it's about protecting public health, preserving our environment, and acknowledging historical treaty obligations.

The time has come for us as Arizonans, and as Americans at large, to stand up for indigenous rights in more than just words. We must take concrete action towards recognizing their sovereignty fully - starting with this ban enforcement.

All new uranium mining around the Grand Canyon is currently banned, but this older claim has slipped through the cracks. My hope is that with no route to market for this ore the mine will have to shut down. Call me a NIMBY if you will, but with the Grand Canyon being one of the wonders of the world & the Navajo/Dine' people being good stewards of this land for tens of thousands of years, I will proudly wear that label. Will you take this stand with me?

Please sign this petition urging Governor Hobbs to support Tribal President Buu Nygren's ban on uranium transportation across the Navajo Nation.