A semitruck hauling uranium ore was involved in a crash near Shonto on the Navajo Nation Wednesday.
Officials say the collision occurred about a half-mile east of Highway 160 and State Route 98 in Navajo County. The truck was transporting uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah. This was the first reported incident since hauling along the 300-mile route began nearly two years ago.
The Navajo Police Department says an SUV struck the passenger-side tire and bumper of the truck while attempting to pass another vehicle. Emergency responders transported two people from the SUV to a local hospital with injuries. The truck driver was not hurt.
The tribe’s EPA and Pinyon Plain safety managers inspected the truck and cargo container and determined no radioactive material leaked and there was no threat to the public.
The crash renewed longstanding concerns from Navajo leaders and environmental advocates about uranium transport across tribal lands tied to the region’s legacy of mining contamination.
The route passes through several northern Arizona communities, including Flagstaff and Williams, and crosses a large swath of the Navajo Nation along U.S. Highways 89 and 160.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called the incident “unacceptable” in a statement posted to social media.
“Uranium has harmed our people, our land, and our water for generations, and many Navajo families continue to live with those impacts today,” he wrote. “That is why incidents like this create serious concern in our communities.”
The mine’s owner, Energy Fuels Inc., began transporting ore in July 2024. But hauling was quickly paused while the company, local officials and tribal leaders negotiated safety concerns and transportation details. Shipments resumed in February 2025.
The company has maintained that hauling uranium ore is safe.
The Navajo Nation does not control transportation on Arizona state highways. But Nygren said companies transporting uranium through Navajo communities “have a responsibility to operate safely and with the highest level of caution.”
He called on agencies involved to improve coordination, strengthen safety measures and provide answers about what happened.
“Our communities deserve better,” Nygren added.
