USGS Identifies Exposure Pathways Posed By Uranium Mining In The Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA) Watershed
Government
Newly identified exposure pathways for the Havasupai include inhalation, ingestion and absorption from traditional food and medicines as well as ceremonial practices. Incorporating these exposure pathways into future research and risk analyses will lead to results that are more inclusive of Tribal resources and culture.
Presenting the expanded risk framework in English and Havasupai aids Tribal members in understanding how the findings relate to their community and helps to preserve the language and historical cultural practices for future generations.
The Department of the Interior placed a 20-year moratorium on mineral extraction from public lands in the Grand Canyon watershed in 2012 citing potential impacts to Tribal resources and culture as one reason for the decision.
Much of these lands was formally protected from new mineral extraction when the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument was created on August 8, 2023. However, uranium mining can continue within the monument where permitted claims already exist and in areas outside the monument. As such, this report can be used by Interior agencies to inform future studies on exposure to risk from uranium mining.