{"id":15449,"date":"2026-07-08T23:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T23:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15449"},"modified":"2026-07-08T23:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T23:07:12","slug":"grand-canyon-uranium-mine-allowed-to-raise-arsenic-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15449","title":{"rendered":"Grand Canyon Uranium Mine Allowed to Raise Arsenic Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Over intense opposition from the Havasupai Tribal Council, state officials quietly reclassified a request from the Pinyon Plain uranium mine to adjust acceptable levels of toxic chemicals in a critical shared aquifer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border-border-light border-t py-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"flex h-4 justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"\"><button class=\"inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full cursor-default bg-bg-surface hover:bg-bg-light focus:bg-bg-dark text-primary border border-solid border-border-light aria-pressed:bg-brand-primary aria-pressed:text-text-surface py-very-tight px-base-tight gap-tight font-semibold font-utility-2 opacity-50\" aria-label=\"Loading audio\" aria-pressed=\"false\" id=\"article-listen-button\" disabled=\"\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\" class=\"\"><title>Listen to this article<\/title><path d=\"M12.5265 16.2C12.2326 16.2 12.0122 16.1265 11.7184 16.053C11.2775 15.9061 10.9102 15.6122 10.6898 15.2449C10.4694 14.8775 10.3959 14.4367 10.5428 13.9959L11.5714 10.3959C11.6449 10.1755 11.7184 9.95509 11.8653 9.80815C12.0122 9.66121 12.1592 9.51427 12.3796 9.36733C12.6 9.29386 12.8204 9.2204 13.0408 9.14693C13.2612 9.14693 13.4816 9.14693 13.702 9.2204H13.7755C14.2163 9.36733 14.5837 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3.41631 11.0571C3.26938 11.351 3.19591 11.7184 3.26938 12.0857C3.34285 12.3061 3.34284 12.5265 3.41631 12.6735L3.71019 13.849ZM13.2612 10.3224C13.1877 10.3224 13.1877 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224C13.1143 10.3224 13.0408 10.3224 12.9673 10.3959C12.8939 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694C12.7469 10.5428 12.7469 10.6163 12.7469 10.6898L11.7184 14.2898C11.6449 14.4367 11.7184 14.5837 11.7918 14.7306C11.8653 14.8775 12.0122 14.951 12.0857 15.0245C12.3796 15.0979 12.5265 15.0979 12.7469 15.0979C12.9673 15.0979 13.1877 15.0245 13.3347 14.8775C13.5551 14.8041 13.702 14.6571 13.849 14.4367C13.9959 14.2898 14.0694 14.0694 14.1428 13.849L14.5102 12.6735C14.5837 12.5265 14.5837 12.3061 14.6571 12.1592C14.7306 11.7918 14.6571 11.4245 14.5102 11.1306C14.2898 10.7633 13.9959 10.4694 13.5551 10.3224H13.4816C13.3347 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"hidden sm:inline\">Listen<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">The aquifer supports Havasu Falls, a tributary of the Grand Canyon that sees 40,000 visitors every year<!-- --> (Photo: Putt Sakdhnagool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 8, 2026 03:36PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Arizona officials just voted to allow a uranium mine\u00a0near Grand Canyon National Park to raise the allowable levels of the highly toxic heavy metal arsenic level in a monitoring well located near the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n<p>The mine, called the Pinyon Plain Mine, also sits atop an aquifer that provides the sole water source for a local tribe, and the source of Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n<p>On July 6, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/static.azdeq.gov\/wqd\/pinyonplain\/2026_indpermit_sl.pdf\">raised<\/a> the allowable levels of arsenic in Pinyon Plain Mine\u2019s monitoring well from 50 to 55 micrograms per liter. Environmental groups and the Havasupai Tribe say the decision could have large ramifications for the Grand Canyon National Park and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese monitoring wells are the canaries in the coal mine. They tell you something\u2019s off here,\u201d Amber Reimondo, energy director for the nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust, told <em>Outside<\/em>. \u201cThe original maximum allowed level was already five times the drinking water standard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by comparison, sets the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/dwreginfo\/chemical-contaminant-rules\">arsenic standard for drinking water<\/a> at ten micrograms per liter due to its potential to cause several types of cancer, including bladder, lung, skin, kidney, liver, and prostate.<\/p>\n<p>In an email to <em>Outside,<\/em>\u00a0ADEQ spokesperson Caroline Oppleman said that the decision does not allow the \u201cintroduction of pollution or a weakening of safeguards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver four-and-a-half years of rigorous, site-specific data confirm that the mine is not adding arsenic to the groundwater,\u201d she said. \u201cRather, the physical structure of the mineshaft has created a hydraulic sink that draws existing, naturally-occurring geological arsenic from the surrounding area toward the perimeter wells. Adjusting these limits simply reflects this natural geological reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Located seven miles south of Grand Canyon National Park, the Pinyon Plain Mine was built in the eighties, spans 17 acres, and runs nearly 1,500 feet deep. The mine also sits atop the Redwall-Muav aquifer, which is both the sole water source for the local Havasupai people and the source of Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Grand Canyon famous for its iconic turquoise waterfalls. As many as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.backpacker.com\/news-and-events\/news\/havasu-falls-reopening-in-2023\/\">40,000 tourists visit these falls each year<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747036\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"aerial view of pinyon pine mine in a forest\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747036\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pinyon_Plain_Canyon_Uranium_Mine-2-1-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pinyon_Plain_Canyon_Uranium_Mine-2-1-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Pinyon Pine Mine is located roughly seven miles from Grand Canyon National Park<\/span> (Photo: Grand Canyon Trust)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nonprofits like the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grandcanyontrust.org\/give\/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23937957243&amp;gbraid=0AAAABB4t6lmkrcV_VbfcTDMifX9pB3Glb&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoaLggYTElQMV28zCBB1ErwneEAAYASAAEgIgbfD_BwE\">Grand Canyon Trust<\/a> say that shifting the arsenic limits in the mine\u2019s monitoring well introduces a dangerous variable into a fragile ecosystem. If arsenic seeps into the deep groundwater pathways, it could reach the aquifer and permanently pollute the canyon\u2019s natural springs, the group said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese arsenic increases were detected back in January 2025, but we only happened to find out about it this January, when I noticed that there was a permit in progress at Pinyon Plain Mine,\u201d Reimondo said. \u201cIf arsenic increases are detected, that should trigger an intensive investigation to understand the cause, not just changing the level at which alarm bells go off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hydrology in the Grand Canyon is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.annualreviews.org\/content\/journals\/10.1146\/annurev-earth-080723-083513\">complex<\/a>, Reimondo said, making it difficult to determine where water runs and the extent of potential contamination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to know, if water is contaminated at a given point, where it can go. It can travel vast distances horizontally and vertically. Mining in the region has the potential to cause contamination to the springs both inside the Grand Canyon and the groundwater,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Havasupai Tribal Council chairwoman Melinda Yaiva opposed the decision, said in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/1GzGXSTonv\/\">Facebook post<\/a> the decision is \u201ca profound attack on the Tribe\u2019s inherent responsibility to guard and protect the waters of the Grand Canyon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Environmental groups like the Sierra Club say the decision could put the aquifer and the waters of the Grand Canyon at risk and, as a result, public health. Arsenic could also pose a major risk to backcountry hikers\u2014standard backpacking filters catch bacteria, but not dissolved heavy metals like arsenic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cADEQ ignored the voices of the Havasupai Tribe, other Tribal Nations, elected officials, scientists, conservation organizations, and countless members of the public who urged ADEQ to place the protection of Arizona\u2019s groundwater above the interests of a foreign mining company,\u201d Yaiva said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747037\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"an aerial view of pinyon pine mine showing the wells and infrastructure\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747037\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pinyon_Plain_Canyon_Uranium_Mine-3-1-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pinyon_Plain_Canyon_Uranium_Mine-3-1-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Pinyon Pine Mine sits atop the Redwall-Muav aquifer, which is both the sole water source for the local Havasupai people and the source of Havasu Creek<\/span> (Photo: Grand Canyon Trust)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/environment\/grand-canyon-uranium-mine-arsenic\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over intense opposition from the Havasupai Tribal Council, state officials quietly reclassified a request from the Pinyon Plain uranium mine to adjust acceptable levels of toxic chemicals in a critical shared aquifer. Listen to this articleListen The aquifer supports Havasu Falls, a tributary of the Grand Canyon that sees 40,000 visitors every year (Photo: Putt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}