The Navajo Police Department responded to a Wednesday crash involving a semi-truck carrying mined uranium ore from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to a processing mill in Utah.
The accident occurred about a half mile east of Highway 160 and state Route 98 near Shonto in Navajo County. This is the first reported incident since hauling along the 300-mile interstate route began nearly two years ago.
Investigators say an SUV tried passing another vehicle, striking the passenger-side tire and bumper of the uranium truck bound for Blanding, Utah. That’s where Energy Fuels operates a mill near the Ute Mountain Ute community of White Mesa.
The tribe’s EPA, along with safety managers from the Pinyon Plain Mine, which is also owned by Energy Fuels, were notified. Using a gamma radiation detector, they inspected the crash site, concluding no radioactive material leaked.
The collision sent two people in the SUV to a local hospital with injuries, while the truck driver was unharmed. The nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust previously found that stretches of this route are statistically among the nation’s deadliest roadways.
In a statement, Energy Fuels told KJZZ its team is actively reviewing this incident, while also working with the proper authorities to “further reduce the risk of similar events in the future.”
The mining company also appreciates the tribal police department’s “prompt and professional response” along with emergency responders “who have indicated that there was no damage to the uranium transport container and no release of hazardous materials.”
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