Uranium Mining Just Miles from the Grand Canyon National Park!
"Our view: Antiquated 1872 law puts our state treasure and other parks at risk. There is no place more sacred to Arizonans than the Grand Canyon. However, it is at risk." - Arizona Daily Star (02/21/08)
The Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter is working with the Center for Biological Diversity, the Grand Canyon Trust as well as local, state and federal policy makers and tribal governments to ensure that the Grand Canyon, its watershed, and the health of area residents is protected from the harmful impacts of uranium mining.
Background
- Spikes in the price of uranium have caused thousands of new uranium claims, dozens of exploratory drilling projects, and movement to open several uranium mines on public lands immediately north and south of Grand Canyon.
- In December 2007, the Kaibab National Forest unlawfully approved a proposal by VANE Minerals to explore for uranium in the Tusayan Ranger District using a “categorical exclusion,” the least rigorous analysis available to the agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We won a lawsuit concerning this proposal in September 2008. As a result, the Forest Service will be required to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before allowing any new exploration projects. This EIS currently in process.
- In October 2008, the Forest Service initiated an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a Vane Minerals / Uranium One proposal to explore for uranium on up to twenty-five sites on the Tusayan Ranger District. The Draft EIS for the VANE Minerals Uranium Exploratory Drilling Project is expected to be available for public review in March 2009.
- Denison, a Canadian mining company, is proposing to open three mines in the greater Grand Canyon area: the Canyon Mine which is south of the Grand Canyon on the Kaibab National Forest and the Arizona I and Pinenut Mines which are on Bureau of Land Management(BLM) lands on the Arizona Strip. The Canyon Mine’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was developed back in the 1980s during the last uranium rush. Its owners are now proposing to reopen the mine as a full mining operation – without doing a new EIS. The Canyon Mine is located close to Red Butte, a site sacred to the Havasupai tribe and only 13 miles south of Grand Canyon. Conservationists and the Havasupai tribe have previously objected to this mine. The environmental assessments for the other two mines are also from the 1980s and are dated. The BLM should require new and updated environmental analysis on these mines as well.
- The cumulative impacts of numerous exploration proposals and mining activities can result in significant negative impacts to the land, the water, and cultural resources.
- Concerns about surface- and ground-water contamination of Grand Canyon National Park and the Colorado River have been expressed by former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano; the Los Angeles Water District; the Southern Nevada Water Authority; the Arizona Game and Fish Department; the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai and Kaibab Paiute nations; and Coconino County.
- According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are more than 500,000 abandoned mines that will cost $50 billion to reclaim.
- The negative impacts of large scale mining development, with the attendant noise pollution, air pollution, and traffic generated by mining activities, could seriously degrade the visitor experiences at Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon National Park generates more than $687 million dollars for the northern Arizona economy each year. Adverse impacts to the Grand Canyon could hurt the area’s tourism and recreation business.
- In January 2009, Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) re-introduced H.R.644 Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act of 2009, legislation that bans the establishment of new mining claims on approximately one million acres of public lands (national forests and Bureau of Land Management Lands) bordering Grand Canyon National Park.
- Previously established, or “proven” claims, will still be allowed to operate under the 1872 Mining Law. Therefore, it is critical that this legislative withdrawal also act as a big step towards much needed reform of this arcane law. (See Fact Sheet on 1872 Mining Law for more information).
- Thanks to your help and previous action, on July 20, 2009, Secretary Salazar ordered a temporary ban on new uranium claims and exploration across 1 million acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park!! The protections from this withdrawal do not affect the three existing mines in the area slated for reopening, including Canyon Mine or the exploration of existing patented claims.
What you can do!
You can tell ADEQ and Governor Jan Brewer that you oppose these proposed uranium mines. ADEQ should deny the general permits for the Canyon and Pinenut mines as they do not ensure protection of the groundwater. You can send a note to the Governor by going clicking on this link http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp or email ADEQ at tb4@azdeq.gov.
Please write to Secretary of Interior Salazar and thank him for segregating these lands and urge him to withdraw the lands from new mining claims for an additional 20 years. You can write to: Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington DC 20240 or send an email at http://www.doi.gov/contact.html.
To find out how you can get involved in these and other efforts to protect Grand Canyon, please contact Stacey Hamburg at (928) 774-6514 or stacey.hamburg@sierraclub.org
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Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E.
McDowell Rd, Suite 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 253-8633
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"Our view: Antiquated 1872 law puts our state treasure and other parks at risk. There is no place more sacred to Arizonans than the Grand Canyon. However, it is at risk." - Arizona Daily Star (02/21/08)
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