Hobbs backs tribe’s call for updated environmental review of Pinyon Plan Mine

Gov. Katie Hobbs at an Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry event on Jan. 5, 2024. Photo by Gage Skidmore (modified) | Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Gov. Katie Hobbs is asking the U.S. Forest Service to conduct a new environmental review of the Pinyon Plain Mine near the Grand Canyon, a request the Havasupai Tribe has made for years.

"As Governor of Arizona, I take seriously the concerns of Indigenous community members who feel the safety of their communities and the integrity of their sacred sites are threatened by this mine," Hobbs wrote in a letter to the federal agency.

The Pinyon Plain uranium mine is located on U.S. Forest Service land in the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona. It is on the ancestral land of numerous tribes, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the Havasupai Tribe.

"Members of these communities continue to endure significant, heart-breaking harm from uranium mining in our recent past," Hobbs wrote.

final Environmental Impact Statement for the project was issued in 1986, and the Plan of Operations was issued in 1984. No updated impact statement or plan of operations has been issued since. Hobbs is now joining the Havasupai in asking for both to be conducted again.

"I am committed to being a partner with Tribal nations and to ensuring that their concerns are respected and heard, and I hope and trust that the U.S. Forest Service shares the same commitment," the governor wrote.

For decades, the Havasupai Tribe has opposed the operation of the Pinyon Plain Mine, which is located about 10 miles south of the Grand Canyon.

The tribe, which lives at the bottom of the Grand Canyon , says the mine threatens its drinking water, natural wonders, and sacred cultural sites.

The Havasupai Tribe and several conservation groups have long tried to stop the mine, and were involved in a lengthy, but ultimately unsuccessful , legal battle that sought to close the mine.

The tribe has argued that the mine also damages Havasupai cultural sites and poses a contamination threat to Havasu Creek, the sole water source for the Supai village.

Hobbs said that, during a visit with the Havasupai Tribe, she learned that many Havasupai people no longer visit the area surrounding the mine out of fear of contamination from mining activities at the site.

"Red Butte Mountain, situated only four miles from the mine, is a site sacred to many Indigenous people, including the Havasupai, and is a federally recognized Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)," the governor said.

In her letter, Hobbs pointed out that even though the agency conducted a review of the mine's plan of operations in 2012 and acknowledged Red Butte's NRHP designation as a TCP, it did not sufficiently examine and consider the impacts the mine will have on the property.

"Now that the mine is operating, examining its impacts on the integrity of this religious and culturally significant site with the Havasupai Tribe is appropriate and necessary," Hobbs said.

The 17-acre mine is owned and operated by Energy Fuels Resources, Inc. (EFRI), one of the leading uranium producers in the United States.

After years of dormancy, the Pinyon Plain Mine resumed operations over the last year, including extracting uranium ore from the mine for the first time in January

EFRI transported two truckloads of uranium ore from the mine near the Grand Canyon to the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah, on July 30.

The approved transportation routes to move the uranium from the Pinyon Plain Mine pass through several tribal communities, including the lands of the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, and Ute Mountain Ute.

The Havasupai Tribe, the Navajo Nation, tribal members and environmental groups condemned the transportation of the uranium ore because EFRI transported uranium ore across tribal lands without making prior arrangements with the tribe or notifying it in advance to make safety arrangements.

"We remain steadfast in our fight against the Pinyon Plain Mine and are grateful for the support of Arizona's top elected officials who stand beside us to request the U.S. Forest Service complete the supplemental EIS for the Pinyon Plain Mine," Havasupai Tribal Chairwoman Bernadine Jones said in a statement. "It's time for the U.S. Forest Service to stand up and fulfill its duty and obligations to protect the environment."

The Havasupai Tribe said the governor's letter demonstrates her ongoing support and commitment to the tribe's fight against uranium mining at the Pinyon Plain Mine.

"The Havasupai Tribe remains committed to protecting the sacred aquifers because Havasupai tribal members have the right to access clean and safe drinking water," Jones said in her written statement. "The Tribe will continue to pursue its fight against uranium mining until the Pinyon Plain Mine is permanently closed."

Havasupai Councilwoman Dianna Sue Uqualla said when Hobbs visited the tribe in August, its members were able to share their concerns over the ongoing danger that the mine poses to the tribe's water and people.

"The tribe applauds Governor Hobbs' request to the U.S. Forest Service, as she agrees that reliance on outdated science and incorrect historical reports is unacceptable," Uqualla said in a statement. "We thank Governor Hobbs for her leadership and determination to protect the land and water that is so sacred and precious not only to the Havasupai Tribe but to all Arizona citizens and visitors of the state."

Hobbs is one of many state officials who have requested an updated environmental impact statement from the U.S. Forest Service.

In August, Attorney General Kris Mayes sent a letter to the federal agency, outlining how the most recent environmental impact study was done nearly four decades ago and relied on outdated data.

"With scientific advancements in the 21st century and new insights into aquifer connectivity, it is critical that the U.S. Forest Service conduct a supplemental study for the Pinyon Plain Mine," Mayes said. "The risks are too great to ignore, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating for this region's people, wildlife, and cultural heritage."