Last week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee took up a bill to ban uranium mining near the Grand Canyon, which an Arizona tribe has been watching the bill closely.

The Havasupai live in the western Grand Canyon and have opposed the Pinyon Plain uranium mine on the South Rim for years, without much success.

The Grand Canyon Protection Act won’t stop existing mining claims, and it will need a boost from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to reach a vote on the Senate floor.

But the tribe has supported the bill and hopes it will ultimately pass.

“You know there’s no light at the end of the tunnel just yet, but it is, it is a step in the right direction, fortunately,” said Stuart Chavez, a tribal council member.

The tribe fears that the mine could contaminate its water supply.