Navajo advisory commission seeks removal of uranium waste repository

Commissioners call for stronger protections and continued oversight of uranium cleanup efforts

July 10, 2026

Members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council and the Diné Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission met at the Cove Chapter House to review uranium cleanup efforts, discuss proposed uranium development and consider recommendations to strengthen environmental protections, according to an official statement from the Office of the Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council. Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, the Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Department and community organizations provided updates on remediation projects across the Navajo Nation.

The commission approved a letter asking the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency to remove the Tse Tah Repository Cell and restore the nearby Tso family homestead, citing concerns about the repository's condition, its construction without the family's consent, and potential environmental and public health risks, according to the statement. Commissioners also reviewed a draft resolution supporting amendments to the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and said their next regular meeting will be held in the Western Agency at Coal Mine Canyon Chapter in August, with the date to be announced later.

1.25th Navajo Nation Council.

1.25th Navajo Nation Council.

We provide the independent reporting that non-Native, extractive outlets often overlook. We give our communities the context and the facts they need to make informed decisions.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Founder and Editor in Chief

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we exist to illuminate tribal government decision-making for everyone who cares about transparency about Native issues. Because the consequences of restricted press freedom affect our communities every day, our trauma-informed reporting is rooted in a deep, firsthand expertise. Every gift helps keep the fire burning. A monthly contribution makes the biggest impact.