Arizona governor negotiates pause in hauling of uranium ore across Navajo Nation

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s governor says a uranium producer has agreed to temporarily pause transport of the mineral through the Navajo Nation after the tribe raised concerns related to a safety plan. Gov. Katie Hobbs said Friday that she intervened this week after talking with Navajo President Buu Nygren. The tribal president says Energy Fuels reneged on a verbal promise to give the tribe and others advance notice of shipments. He says the tribe is ready to test the limits of a Navajo Nation law that bans the the transport of uranium on the reservation. The law exempts state and federal highways. Energy Fuels began hauling the ore Tuesday from its mine south of Grand Canyon National Park. Hobbs says the pause allows the tribe and company to talk in good faith.