Tag Archives: White Mesa

Too close for comfort?: Proximity to the White Mesa uranium mill worries Ute Mountain tribe

On a warm, windy Saturday in May, some 80 people set forth from the community center in White Mesa, Utah, marching north on the side of Highway 191 in a long line. The people were a mixture of Native Americans … Continue reading

Published in June 2017 Tagged ,

Toxic transportation?: Proposed routes for hauling uranium from mines near the Grand Canyon are sparking tribal opposition

Native American tribes in the Four Corners region are gearing up for a battle over plans to haul uranium across their lands to the White Mesa Mill near Blanding, Utah. White Mesa is the only fully-licensed, conventional uranium mill in … Continue reading

Published in January 2017 Tagged , ,

PLI legislation is introduced at last: Supporters say it’s the right solution; critics, that it’s too little, too late

Just prior to Interior Secretary Sally’s Jewell’s July 16 listening session in Bluff, Utah, about a possible Bears Ears National Monument, U.S. representatives Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, both Utah Republicans, introduced the long-awaited final Public Lands Initiative bill. Among … Continue reading

Published in August 2016 Tagged ,

Are mail-in ballots unfair to Navajo voters?: The question spawns conflicting suits in San Juan County

An ongoing dispute about voting rights in San Juan County, Utah, has spawned a second federal lawsuit by the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission – as well as a counterclaim from the San Juan County commissioners. A previous lawsuit resulted … Continue reading

Published in May 2016 Tagged

A monumental idea: A coalition of tribes asks President Obama to use the Antiquities Act to protect a swath of Utah lands

On Oct. 15 the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a partnership of five southwestern native tribes, presented a groundbreaking proposal to President Obama’s administration to turn a large swath of public lands in southern Utah into a national monument. The coalition, … Continue reading

Published in November 2015 Tagged ,

Monument idea prompts mixed reactions

The call by a coalition of five American Indian tribes for a 1.9-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument is opposed by the commissioners of San Juan County, Utah, where the monument would be, as well as many others in the huge … Continue reading

Published in November 2015 Tagged ,

A delay for ‘The Grand Bargain’: March 27 deadline passes; work continues on Utah lands bill

March 27 came and went without the expected unveiling of a draft bill for managing eastern Utah’s treasured public lands, but the deadline for inclusion in “The Grand Bargain,” as the legislation is being called, has been extended. Utah Congressmen … Continue reading

Published in April 2015 Tagged ,

Making their voices heard: As San Juan County, Utah, mulls public-lands management, a grassroots Navajo group weighs in with proposals of its own

As San Juan County, Utah, mulls public-lands management, a grassroots Navajo group weighs in with proposals of its own Faced with the possibility of new national monuments popping up in their state through presidential proclamation, Utah lawmakers have been working to … Continue reading

Published in March 2015 Tagged

Lawsuit charges mill with violating laws for radon releases, open pits

A conservation group is suing over radioactive air emissions at the White Mesa Uranium Mill near Blanding, Utah. The Grand Canyon Trust, with offices in Flagstaff and Moab, filed its complaint April 2 in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake … Continue reading

Published in May 2014 Tagged

The Navajo Nation nixes access for uranium mining

The Navajo Nation has announced that it will deny access across its lands to a company that wants to mine uranium on state land near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, at least until the mining company meets the nation’s terms. … Continue reading

Published in June 2013 Tagged ,

A Ute tribe objects to a uranium mill’s license

Ute tribe challenges uranium-mill license renewal But regulators dismiss the tribe’s concerns, saying White Mesa is following rules Environmental safety standards at the White Mesa Uranium Mill in southeast Utah are inadequate, according to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, which … Continue reading

Published in May 2012 Tagged ,

A two-word phrase holds up the Pinon Ridge mill

The Piñon Ridge Uranium Mill slated for construction in Paradox Valley west of Naturita, Colo., recently survived several legal challenges, but must overcome one more before it can officially break ground early this year. The effort to build the second … Continue reading

Published in January 2012 Tagged ,