US to Protect Grand Canyon From Uranium Mining
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/09The Obama Administration is set to protect a 1-million acre area around the Grand Canyon from uranium mining with a 20-year ban, despite pressure from mining companies.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is set to make the announcement today at the National Geographic Society in Washington.
Environmental groups praised the decision. From the Associated Press:
"Secretary Salazar has defended the Southwest's right to plentiful, clean water and America's dedication to one of our most precious landscapes," said Dusty Horwitt, senior counsel for the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based advocacy group.
"Despite significant pressure from the mining industry, the president and Secretary Salazar did not back down," said Jane Danowitz, U.S. public lands director for the Pew Environment Group.
Mining companies had hoped to take advantage of the uranium-rich area. The Guardian reports:
In the final years of the George Bush presidency, when uranium prices were rising worldwide, mining companies filed thousands of new claims in northern Arizona, on lands near the Grand Canyon. They also proposed reopening old mines adjacent to the canyon.
= new reply since forum marked as read
"To respond to the inevitable attacks from enemies of conservation in Congress, we outline the top five winners and losers of the decision"
http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/01/09/400440/top-five-winners-and-losers-of-secretary-salazars-decision-to-protect-1-million-acres-around-the-grand-canyon/
From League of Conservation Voters:
“We strongly applaud the Obama administration’s decision to protect one million acres around the iconic Grand Canyon from dirty and dangerous uranium mining for the next twenty years. Extending the current moratorium on new uranium mining claims will protect tourism related jobs, drinking water for millions downstream, and critical wildlife habitats. This is a huge win for conservation and the countless Americans who enjoy the Grand Canyon’s natural splendor each year.”
http://www.lcv.org/media/news/LCV-Applauds-Obama-Administration-Ban-on-New-Mining-near-Grand-Canyon.html
Thank the Obama Administration... link through LCV
