Lawsuit Seeks to Block Uranium Mining at Grand Canyon

One of the great natural wonders of the world – the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River – is threatened by uranium exploration.Three conservation groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the approval of up to 39 new uranium drilling sites within a few miles of Grand Canyon National Park.

In December, the Kaibab National Forest granted British firm Vane Minerals approval to conduct exploratory uranium drilling on national forest lands along the park’s southern boundary with no public hearing and no environmental review. It is the first of five such projects slated for the area.
“The Grand Canyon is facing a massive uranium build-up at its southern boundary,” said Sandy Bahr of Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “The mining law doesn’t negate the Forest Service’s duty to conduct detailed environmental and public reviews for new uranium development – and the Grand Canyon deserves at least that much.”

Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has made no direct statement about uranium exploration at the Grand Canyon, but he has called for greater emphasis on nuclear energy in the United States along with increased production of domestic oil and continued development of alternative energy sources.

ENS Newswire