When Indigenous communities bear the brunt of pollution, it is not fair treatment. It is environmental racism. Here on the Colorado Plateau, extractive industries have left behind toxic legacies that disproportionately impact Native peoples and tribal lands, from abandoned uranium mines and radioactive tailings piles to poisoned wells and depleted aquifers.
We stand with Native communities in their tireless efforts to build just futures that prioritize people and health over profits.
Communities across America have fought to remove radioactive waste from their backyards. Now the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Bears Ears National Monument are forced to reckon with it in theirs.
A uranium mine less than 10 miles from the South Rim threatens precious groundwater in the Grand Canyon region. The Havasupai Tribe is concerned about the mine contaminating the Redwall-Muav aquifer, the tribe's sole source of drinking water.
Between the 1940s and 1960s, uranium mining peaked throughout the Colorado Plateau to support the U.S. nuclear energy program. Estimates suggest there have been over 1,000 mines on the Navajo Nation alone. Today, more than 500 of those mines have been abandoned and remain in need of cleanup.
We support budding activists working to create more just and sustainable futures for the Colorado Plateau. Learn about the Trust's Rising Leaders Program ›
A small victory in the legal case challenging Daneros uranium mine, near Bears Ears National Monument.
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Groundwater pumping at a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon will affect the canyon's springs, scientists says.
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A rally in Salt Lake City followed by a spiritual walk in White Mesa demonstrate the Ute community's determination to see uranium mill close.
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