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Panel backs $1 million appropriation to monitor uranium contamination and partner with tribal epidemiology centers
Summary
House Bill 2889 would appropriate $1 million to the State Mine Inspector to establish a statewide registry and monitoring program for potential uranium contamination and to partner with tribal epidemiology centers. Sponsor and tribal supporters emphasized health impacts in Navajo Nation; committee passed bill with a due-pass recommendation and indicated intent to consider moving implementation to ADEQ per stakeholder feedback.
House Bill 2889 would appropriate $1,000,000 from the state general fund to the State Mine Inspector in FY2027 to monitor potential uranium contamination, establish a statewide registry, and partner with tribal epidemiology centers. The sponsor highlighted hundreds of abandoned uranium mines—particularly on the Navajo Nation—and framed the bill as addressing health and environmental impacts for tribal communities.
Testimony and follow-up: Tribal and community witnesses supported the bill and urged accountability and community involvement in testing; the sponsor acknowledged conversations about whether ADEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) might be the appropriate implementing agency and said he would accept an amendment transferring implementation to ADEQ and adjusting the report date.
Committee action: After discussion and suggested technical changes (agency assignment, report date), the committee returned HB2889 with a due-pass recommendation. The roll call recorded 9 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent.
