Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has signed amendments to a 2012 law that bans the transport of radioactive material across the reservation.
It’s in response to the unannounced trucking of uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine south of the Grand Canyon that's drawn criticism from environmentalists and local Native American tribes.
The Navajo Nation Council held a special council session on August 26, unanimously approving the emergency legislation.
The amended law states they must be notified of shipments at least a week before instead of the current four days. It also tacks on transport fees and requires companies to file an emergency preparedness plan.
Any company that ignores the rules could be hit with an order of compliance and penalties of up to $25,000 a day from the tribe’s Environmental Protection Agency.
Navajo leaders say they weren’t given advance notice when the mining company Energy Fuels began hauling uranium ore to a southern Utah mill in July.
Nygren vowed to stop future deliveries, but Energy Fuels company says it’s within its rights to do so and that it's safe to haul.
Shipments of uranium ore have been put on hold as the company and tribe attempt to reach a mutual agreement.
