New study warns Arizona uranium mine could put water at risk, but state officials say it's unlikely
A recent study by the University of New Mexico says the Pinyon Plain uranium mine near the Grand Canyon could risk contaminating the area's groundwater, and that uranium mining in the region requires better monitoring.
The 27-page report looked at the complex flow of water below the surface and how it moves from one aquifer to another using a vertically connected network of faults.
"It showed I think to the surprise of many people that the water could move laterally through these aquifers and fault systems tens and over 30 kilometers in one to two seasons," said Laura Crossey, an earth sciences professor at University of New Mexico.
That’s fast for groundwater.
Crossey’s group applied that understanding to area mining.
"We think it’s going to be a very risky endeavor with what we understand now about the aquifers and faults in the Grand Canyon area," she said.
Curtis Moore, senior vice president of marketing for Energy Fuels, which owns the Pinyon Plain Mine, said that there are no faults near the mine and no risks to groundwater. And while risks may be a factor in other uranium mines, that it's not the case here.
"This is old news," he stated. "And a fact that was very well understood and considered when the state of Arizona DEQ issued the Individual Aquifer Protection Permit for Pinyon Plain in 2022. There are no faults, fractures or similar structures near Pinyon Plain, which indicates that there is no such vertical connectivity and therefore no risks to groundwater."
State officials are reviewing the new report but say adverse impacts to groundwater from the uranium mine are extremely unlikely.
"Studied, scrutinized and litigated for over 30 years, the mine has an extensive record," wrote Arizona Department of Environmental Quality communications director Caroline Oppelman in response to questions about the new study.
"To ensure the protection of groundwater, ADEQ included requirements for both additional and unprecedented operational and post-closure conditions to augment and strengthen the permit," she said.
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