Uranium mill expansion fuels tribal health worries amid national nuclear push

The White Mesa Mill, built in 1980 near Bears Ears National Monument, is set to boost its yellowcake output from 1 million pounds last year to over double that amount, while also expanding into rare-earth processing with a $725 million Defense Department loan. Energy Fuels reports that 10 to 15 ore trucks arrive each weekday, many passing through tribal lands, and that about half of its 105 employees are Indigenous. Tribal leaders such as Malcolm Lehi and Yolanda Badback of the White Mesa Concerned Community contend that new, triple-lined tailings cells planned closer to the reservation could leach contaminants into springs like Entrance Spring, which already shows uranium near federal limits.

Although the company and state officials say the mill’s deep aquifer is protected and radiation exposure is minimal, the EPA previously fined the plant for radon emissions, and residents still report sulfur-smelling water and odors. The controversy unfolds as the U.S. pushes to ban Russian uranium imports and quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050, heightening demand for domestic uranium and sparking tribal opposition across the region.