New Site & Issue Updates
April 2021
Yá’át’ééh,
After waging an effective campaign to spread awareness and activate impacted communities to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon in 2017, we had to pause and focus on other organizing. As an all-volunteer effort, our crew is involved in many struggles throughout the Southwest addressing environmental and social issues including broader nuclear threats. In the midst of this pause, our website with the “.org” was taken. We have rebuilt the old site and are in the process of updating everything here at haulno.com.
We are re-initiating our campaign to stop uranium mining at the Grand Canyon and broadening the scope of our organizing to address threats of nuclear colonialism in the Southwest. Past and ongoing threats include: uranium mining and milling, transport of radioactive materials, cleanup of abandoned uranium mines (AUMs)–basically the entire nuclear fuel chain from uranium extraction to nuclear weapons, energy development, and waste.
CANYON MINE
Canyon Mine has recently been rebranded by Energy Fuels Inc. as “Pinyon Plain” Mine. This maneuver to change their name is plainly a public relations move to cover up the controversy over their attempt to mine at the Grand Canyon & their desecration of the sacred site Red Butte. For our efforts, we will refer to it as “Pinyon Plain/Canyon Mine.”
While public pressure and legal battles had set Energy Fuels’ plans to mine uranium at the Pinyon Plain/Canyon Mine back for several years, they are now pushing closer to opening their mining operations and transporting radioactive ore through our communities. We are committed to stopping that from happening.
Updates:
- Ongoing legal battles to stop the uranium mine by the Havasupai Tribe & environmental groups such as Grand Canyon Trust, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, and Uranium Watch continue. In May 2020, the US district court ruled in favor of Energy Fuels. Appeals are underway by plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
- Pinyon Plain/Canyon Mine, is currently seeking a new aquifer permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
- The White Mesa Mill is in operation, but struggling financially and mostly relying on income from processing “alternate feed” (waste from various nuclear facilities) and not uranium ore. Although the Mill has sufficient capacity in its current tailings (waste) impoundments, it is seeking to add additional impoundments in the near future. For more information, visit Uranium Watch’s page on the White Mesa Mill.
- Arizona Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva reintroduced the Grand Canyon Protection Act at the beginning of this year. The bill would ban uranium mining near the Grand Canyon but does not apply to pre-existing permits such as the Pinyon Plain/Canyon Mine.
- The White Mesa Mill has also been identified as a possible site to permanently store uranium waste from cleanup of abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation, which Haul No! does not support (more info below).
CHURCHROCK (also CHURCH ROCK)
The world’s largest uranium spill occurred in 1979 just 10 miles north of Churchrock, New Mexico. This massive nuclear accident severely impacted the Diné community of Red Water Pond Road where uranium has been mined and milled for decades. Two companies operated in the area: Kerr McGee and United Nuclear Corporation, now Quivira (Kerr McGee) and General Electric (UNC). After decades of advocacy from community members and environmental groups, both companies faced a multibillion dollar lawsuit and agreed to a settlement for cleanup of their toxic legacies.
As part of the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines (AUMs) on Navajo Nation, General Electric (GE/UNC) is now proposing cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock mine. The plan includes moving one million cubic yards of mine waste on top of the mill waste and moving the more radioactive waste (also called: PTW or Potential Threat Waste) to a licensed facility. White Mesa Mill has been identified as the preferred location.
Considering the impacts the White Mesa Mill has had on the Ute Mountain Ute community, their sacred lands, and the ecological dangers with further radioactive materials processing, transport, and waste, Haul No! does not support this proposal.
Updates:
- In September 2018, UNC/GE applied for a license amendment to their mill license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to allow storage of mine waste. This application is currently going through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is open for public comments until May 27, 2021.
- NRC will host public forums on KTNN on April 7, 8, and 9, 6pm-8pm MDT.
- NRC will host a public meeting on April 29, 2021, starting at 6pm MDT.
- A decision on this proposal is expected in January 2022.
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HaulNo/ and check back on our website for upcoming ways to TAKE ACTION to help SHUT DOWN PINYON PLAIN/CANYON MINE and to SUPPORT COMMUNITY EFFORTS at White Mesa Mill and AUM CLEANUP at Churchrock and across the Southwest.
ABOUT HAUL NO
Haul No! exists to spread awareness and stimulate action to ensure sacred sites, the Grand Canyon, and our communities in the Southwest are safeguarded from this deadly toxic threat. We invite you to join our efforts and help build a movement to end nuclear colonialism! Please visit our website at www.haulno.com or email us stopcanyonmine@gmail.com. #haulno
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