Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking the U.S. Forest Service to conduct an environmental impact study on the Pinyon Plain Mine in northern Arizona, despite reassurances from Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office that the mine is safe and regularly inspected by state officials. 

In a letter sent Aug. 13, Mayes expressed concern about the mine’s impact on the water supply of northern Arizona tribal communities that live near it. According to Mayes’ letter, the Forest Service has not conducted an environmental review of the mine in 38 years and the original review “is based on an outdated, inaccurate understanding of the risks posed by the Mine.” 

The mine had been dormant for decades, but uranium mining began in December after prices for the mineral went up. Since mining began, environmental and Indigenous rights groups have raised concerns about the impact Pinyon Plain could have on the area’s water supply, communities and historical landmarks. 

“The risks are too great to ignore, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating for this region’s people, wildlife, and cultural heritage,” Mayes said in a statement released Aug. 13. 

The mine is close to both the Grand Canyon and the newly designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Several groups, including those representing the Havasupai Tribe, delivered a petition to Hobbs in June asking her to shut down the mine. 

A spokesperson for the company that operates Pinyon Plain, Energy Fuels Resources Inc., said the original environmental impact study was reaffirmed in 2012 and upheld multiple times in court. 

“Energy Fuels continues to comply with all current approvals, regulations, and science to ensure protection of human health and the environment,” the statement said. The company also said the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality determined in 2022 that the mine would have no impact on groundwater in the area. 

The Governor’s Office told the Arizona Capitol Times in June that Pinyon Plain is “one of the most closely regulated mines in the country” and receives routine inspections from ADEQ. 

Earlier this month, Energy Fuels Resources Inc.received criticism from the Navajo Nation for hauling uranium through Navajo land without advance notice, which the company said it would provide. Hobbs helped negotiate a pause on uranium hauling so the company and Navajo Nation officials could discuss the issue. That pause is still in effect, although the company has indicated in statements that it could resume hauling at any time. 

Mayes released a statement about the uranium hauling in late July, saying her office was researching options to address the situation. In that statement, Mayes also expressed concerns similar to those detailed in her letter to the Forest Service.

The letter is the most recent disagreement between the governor and the attorney general, who were at odds earlier this year over using opioid settlement funds controlled by Mayes’ office to fill holes in the state’s budget. 

A spokesperson for Mayes’ office said there was “some limited staff communication” between the Attorney General’s Office and the Governor’s Office on the environmental impact study.

Hobbs’ communications director did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mayes’ letter.