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FACT BRIEF

Is it against Navajo Nation law to transport uranium across tribal lands?

By Carmela Guaglianone
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YES

A 2012 law passed by the Navajo Nation Council prohibits the transportation of uranium and other radioactive materials across tribal land. Exceptions include cases when uranium is being relocated for disposal, as well as for transport using state or federal highways.

In 2024, after a dispute between the Navajo Nation and a mining company that claimed to fall under the exemption, President Buu Nygren issued an executive order reiterating that Navajo officials must grant permission to move uranium across tribal land.

While no Arizona or federal laws prohibit the transport of radioactive materials, the Navajo Nation is sovereign, or self-governing, with few exceptions.

The Navajo Nation has a fraught history with uranium mining. Studies have found disproportionately high rates of uranium exposure among residents, leading to adverse health effects including reproductive issues, hypertension and cancer.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Navajo Nation Council Radioactive and Related Substances Equipment, Vehicles, Persons and Materials Transportation Act of 2012
Navajo Nation Office of the President Navajo President Buu Nygren issues executive order to enforce laws to ban irresponsible, unsafe transport of radioactive material across Navajo Nation
Environmental Protection Agency Abandoned Mines Cleanup
Library of Congress American Indian Law: A Beginner's Guide
AP News Navajo Nation plans to test limit of tribal law preventing transportation of uranium on its land
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Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.