Environmental protesters on Saturday, August 24, during the protest against the Pinyon Plain uranium mine (Photo: @publiccarbon on X).
Arizona environmental organizations, including Arizona Sparkthey demand that the authorities close the Pinyon Plain Uranium Minewhich is located in protected areas near the Grand Canyon in the north of the state, and claim that mining activity in the area is “irreversibly” contaminating the water in the area, an accusation that the company rejects. The mining activity initially affects the Havasupai tribe and will later also affect the community in the state in general, he told Connect Arizona the communications director of Arizona SparkNuvia Enriquez, in reference to last Saturday’s protest organized by Center for Biological Diversitywhich was also attended by members of the Lakota tribe.
The company that owns the mine, Energy Fuels, considered the largest uranium producer in the United States, maintains that the activity at Pynion Plain is “fully permitted and substantially developed” and carried out with “state-of-the-art environmental controls and groundwater protections”. A company spokesperson also stated in a statement that they are in talks with the Navajo Nation to reach an agreement that addresses the interests of both parties, both economic and environmental: “We have had productive discussions with the Navajo Nation and believe that the parties will be able to reach a reasonable agreement that ensures coordinated emergency management and the protection of public health and safety at all times, issues that are of utmost importance to both the Navajo Nation and Energy Fuels.”
The Pynion Plain Mine is located within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni (Grand Canyon Ancestral Footprints) National Monument.designated as such by President Joe Biden in August 2023, when he designated nearly a million acres of tribal lands around the Grand Canyon under that category, to protect them from active mining operations, as part of a policy – he said then – to care for natural resources, recreational activities, the cultural and historical value of the area, and the water supply due to its scarcity in Arizona.
Speaking to Coffee Time☕, the radio program of Connect ArizonaEnriquez detailed the requests that Arizona Spark Enriquez is asking state authorities to also prevent the mine from transporting radioactive material, she said. “Our waters are in danger of being irreversibly contaminated by radiation,” Enriquez said in an interview with Celia Ramos.
🎙️ Following the demonstration on Saturday against uranium mines north of Phoenix, near the Grand Canyon, what is the current situation?
“There is one mine specifically called Pinyon Plain, which is located in protected territory. Last year, the areas around the Grand Canyon were protected, precisely to protect the areas from mining. But the situation is that there are mines in the territories that were there before, and that protection does not apply to those mines. So, what is being asked is to close the mine, because there is a very great danger of irreversibly contaminating the largest aquifer in the southwest, and that means that the waters of our state would be irreversibly contaminated. There is a very strong request from our indigenous relatives, specifically from the Havasupai tribe, to close the mine, because they would be the first to be affected if this aquifer and these waters are contaminated, because they are their main source of drinking water. It is a very serious situation.”
The company that owns the mine, Energy Fuels, assures that its activity does not put the water in the area at risk (Image: screenshot).
🎙️ What are the risks that would be faced with this water contamination problem in this area?
“First of all, it would contaminate the only source of water for the Havasupai tribe. We always say that we have to protect our lands and specifically our people. The Havasupai tribe depends on these waters, but this is also water that connects to the waters of the entire state. So, at some point, that danger would reach us. Unfortunately, when there are environmental situations, usually the first people affected are indigenous people, low-income people, people of color in general, and the Havasupai tribe would be the first affected, but eventually it would reach us too. These are waters that would be contaminated by radiation and that cannot be cleaned. That is the seriousness: our waters are in danger of being irreversibly contaminated by radiation.”
Representatives of environmental organizations demanded that the authorities close the mine (Photo: @publiccarbon on X).
🎙️ And what steps are environmental groups and communities taking to oppose these mining projects?
“We are making these kinds of demonstrations: Arizona Spark “We don’t organize them directly, but we join the voice of our indigenous relatives. Last Saturday, some of our members went to join the demonstration. Also a month ago we joined the effort to bring the governor of Arizona (Katie Hobbs) more than 17,000 signatures with the petition to close the mine. The petition efforts will continue to close the mine and also to not allow the transport of radioactive material. The mine began transporting radioactive material without warning, approximately three weeks ago. That has already stopped, but the reality is that they cannot transport this radioactive material through our communities. They only ask that it be covered with a tarp, which will not prevent this material from spreading to the places where it is being transported. So it is imperative that the radioactive material not be transported, but it is also imperative that the mine be closed.”
🎙️ Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has requested an updated environmental study on the mine. Do you think this new study could change the situation?
“It’s possible. The truth is that she is taking a very strong position on this matter, which is what we need from our elected leaders. When we saw that Mayes was going to do this, we celebrated because it is what is needed in environmental matters: we cannot have information from decades ago. It is important that she has taken this step and hopefully she will provide the information we need for the governor to make the decision to close the mine.”
The protest against the closure of the Pinyon Plain mine called for the protection of the environment and indigenous communities located in territories near the Grand Canyon (Photo: @publiccarbon on X).
🎙️ What has been the federal government’s response?
“I am not sure what the federal response has been. We have been holding state-level mobilizations because our governor has the power here locally to take action in this regard.”
🎙️ In a statement from the Center for Biological Diversity, it is stated that the mine is located within the Grand Canyon National Monument, as you mentioned. What impact could the protection of the mine have on the monument?
“Well, that’s the problem, right? The designation of the areas around the Grand Canyon as a monument was precisely to protect them from mining. And it’s an effort that has been underway for about 15 years in which indigenous tribes have asked for the protection of those areas. Congressman Raúl Grijalva also played a very important role in raising that request. And that cry from our indigenous relatives was finally realized last year. But, as I said, it doesn’t protect against the mines that were already there. So I think that this is a policy that should be reversed so that it is not only protected from new mining. I mean, obviously new mines cannot be installed in those protected areas, but we should also be aware that the mines that were there also have the potential to contaminate, as we are seeing with the Pinyon Plain mine. So we have to reverse this policy that the mines that were already there can continue to operate.”
President Joe Biden in August 2023, at Grand Canyon National Park, alongside Governor Katie Hobbs, Congressman Grijalva, and representatives of indigenous communities (Photo: @POTUS on X).
🎙️ As citizens, what can we do to help this cause?
“Spread the word. It is very important that when these demonstrations take place in northern Arizona, if you have the opportunity to go, do so. Arizona Spark “Usually when we are going to join something like this we provide transportation to be able to go, because we know that it is difficult to join these demonstrations. It also helps a lot when there are petitions like the one we took to the governor with almost 20,000 signatures, because it shows the citizen support for this type of initiatives. If you see information on social media or if you hear it like in this space, mining is something that affects us all, especially when it contaminates our lands, our waters. There are different ways to join these efforts and when you see them, sign or sign up to go, it is important.”
🎙️ Do you think there is a way to balance the exploitation of natural resources with the preservation of the environment?
“Yes, there are ways in which it can be done. We know that for the things that we consume, mining is essential, but there are ways to balance the extraction practices of these mines and how they (mine owners) can also take into account the communities that are around where they decide to set up. They can work together with the indigenous communities, who may lose out if they do not carry out their environmental responsibilities. There are ways in which they can work together, but the companies have to be willing to do that instead of just thinking about the profits they would make. Yes, we have to hold these companies and these mines accountable, which usually have very strong extraction practices and do not care about the communities that are around them. It is also important that we hold our elected leaders accountable, who have the power to hold them (the companies). So, yes, there are ways to do things in a balanced way, but they have to be willing.”
Art: Daniel Robles.
🎙️ How do we contact Chispa Arizona?
“In our web page There is all the information about the work we do, in English and Spanish. We have committees that people can get directly involved in. There is a public lands committee with which we take people to northern Arizona to protest the mine. There are members of Arizona Spark who have been going to demonstrations against uranium mining for 10, 20 years, it is a struggle that we are trying to keep alive. You can join the movement as a member of Arizona Spark”.
Art: Daniel Robles.
