Suit Challenges New Uranium Exploration That Threatens the Grand Canyon

[ensho]

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/05/08-1


The Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust, and Sierra Club today amended their lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior to challenge newly authorized uranium exploration near Grand Canyon National Park. The new uranium projects are located within a 1-million acre area that was required to be immediately withdrawn from new mining claims and exploration by a June 25, 2008 emergency resolution of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Today’s amendment challenges new uranium projects authorized by the Bureau of Land Management on April 23 and April 27, 2009. While the Bureau initially denied that new uranium exploration activities had been authorized, it has since acknowledged that exploration on the lands in question could begin whenever the companies wish.
“The Bureau’s new uranium exploration runs afoul of both the law and a congressional resolution protecting Grand Canyon,” said Taylor McKinnon, public lands program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is an agency in dire need of leadership from the new administration — the Grand Canyon deserves it.”

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources on June 25, 2008 voted 20-2 in favor of an emergency resolution requiring the secretary of the interior to immediately withdraw 1 million acres of public lands surrounding Grand Canyon from new uranium claims and exploration. New exploration authorized by then-Secretary Kempthorne violated the required withdrawal and prompted conservation groups to file the suit in September 2008. The suit cites violations of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and other laws. Today’s amendment incorporates the Bureau’s new uranium-drilling authorizations based on the same violations.

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Spikes in the price of uranium in recent years 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. Concerns about damage to wildlife habitat as well as surface- and groundwater contamination of Grand Canyon National Park and the Colorado River have been expressed by previous Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano; the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; the Southern Nevada Water Authority; the Arizona Game and Fish Department; the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Kaibab Paiute nations; and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors.

"It is just outrageous that the Bureau is putting the short-term profits of these mining companies ahead of protection of one of the most amazing places in our nation, Grand Canyon, risking our water resources, and flaunting the law," said Sandy Bahr, chapter director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter.
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money, money, money

climate change will trump money

[bahrbearian]

1. Money will trump Climate Change

[ensho]

2. only in the short term

nt