Green Options » grand canyon

Salazar Calls Time-Out on Grand Canyon Mining Claims

Ruedigar Matthes — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:57:45 +0000

“I am calling a two-year ‘Time-Out’ from all new mining claims in the Arizona Strip near the Grand Canyon,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, “because we have a responsibility to ensure we are developing our nation’s resources in a way that protects local communities, treasured landscapes, and our watersheds,” said Secretary Salazar.

Nearly one million acres of federal lands near the Grand Canyon have been set apart for deliberation for the next two years after careful consideration by the Department of Interior. Over the next two years, the Department of Interior will evaluate the land to determine whether it should be removed from new mining claims for the an additional twenty years.

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Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center Goes Solar

Tom Schueneman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:23:44 +0000

The visitor’s center on the south rim of the Grand Canyon will soon be powered with the aid of solar power. Arizona Public Service is paying for the 18 kilowatt PV solar system through voluntary payments from its customers. Construction of the system is scheduled to begin this month, with completion sometime in March.

McCain’s Nuclear Razzle-Dazzle Fizzles with Inconsistencies

Max Lindberg — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:19:34 +0000

Yucca Mountain, “Yes”; transport waste through my state?, “No”; what Grand Canyon?

It’s hard to tell if Senator McCain’s age is catching up with his memory, or if he’s just trying to ride a lot of fences when it comes to nuclear power.

The Sierra Club sent out a release today, pointing out the Senator’s love affair with nuclear power, revealed a YouTube clip of McCain saying he would not approve of shipping 77,000 tons of dangerous nuclear waste through his home state of Arizona, but felt it would be ok to move it through 44 other states.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

With this in mind, let’s examine his stand on drilling for uranium in the national parks surrounding the Grand Canyon.

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Uranium Contaminated Soil at Grand Canyon School District Playgrounds?

Max Lindberg — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:59:43 +0000

Putting an Old Dog to Rest…Hopefully

For years, there have been rumors, and concerns, about playground areas at the Grand Canyon School District, located inside the park, being contaminated with radioactive soil from old uranium mines in the area.

I talked with park Public Affairs Officer Maureen Oltrogge, and she said that an investigation is underway to determine if there is contaminated soil in the playground areas. Oltrogge said the park has no records of any company dumping radioactive dirt there, so they’ve contracted with a geotechnical engineering company to test the area and make a final decision. She said the test results should be in by the end of the year.

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Uranium Mining Claims in Grand Canyon Area Ordered Withdrawn

Max Lindberg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:52:47 +0000

For the 5th time in history, the House Natural Resources committee invoked its authority and ordered the Bush administration to stop mining claims in the Grand Canyon. The measure was urged by Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva of Tucson, chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands.

The withdrawal halts thousands of mining claims in national forest areas surrounding the Grand Canyon amid fears that resumption of uranium mining presents a danger to drinking water for some 25 million people in the southwest.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano had requested that Interior Secretary Kempthorne withdraw the Grand Canyon area from mining. The request was denied on the grounds that Congress must make the request.

The four previous emergency withdrawal authority requests were authored by Rep. Morris Udall, who was Chairman of the House Interior Committee.

Will the Bush administration abide by this authority, or is Bush still “the decider”?

Source: Press Release from The Sierra Club

Image Credit: www.inetours.com/…/ Tours/Grand_Canyon_7739.jpg

Does Sen. John McCain Approve of Proposed Uranium Mines Near the Grand Canyon?

Max Lindberg — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:13:44 +0000

An Open Letter to Senator John McCain, Presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate

This hit me the other day; how does the Republican Presidential Candidate-in-Waiting view the possible mining of uranium just 3 miles from the Grand Canyon?

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) knows the canyon well, he’s reportedly hiked it a number of times, knows where the only uranium mine that operated there is located, yet has said nothing about the 1000 or more permits being sought to explore for uranium near the park. I’ve searched his Senate website, news reports on the issue and his name is nowhere to be seen. Why is that?

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Federal Judge Blocks Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon

Timothy B. Hurst — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:46:25 +0000

A federal judge has blocked a mining company from exploring for any further uranium near the grand Canyon. Several groups had sued the U.S. Forest Service for backing the plan without full environmental reviews. U.S. District Court Judge Mary Murguia of the U.S. District Court in Arizona issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction stopping the drilling late last week.

“The Grand Canyon is too important for the Forest Service to give short shrift to the possible and significant negative impacts of uranium mining exploration,” said Sandy Bahr, conservation outreach director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “The Forest Service should take a hard look at the impacts and the public should have an opportunity to review and comment on this mining exploration,” added Bahr.

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Legislation Introduced to Prohibit Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon

Max Lindberg — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:13:39 +0000

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has introduced legislation to withdraw approximately one million acres near the Grand Canyon from mineral exploration under the 1872 Mining Act.

In a news release, the Congressman was quoted as saying:

“I was pleased to introduce this legislation which will forever protect the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and the people who live near and in the Canyon from damaging uranium mining,” said Rep. Grijalva. “The federal government and mining companies still have not adequately dealt with the clean up of old uranium mine sites on the Navajo Nation and other areas that are causing ongoing health problems. Until these issues are resolved, we should not move forward with new mines, especially next to the crown jewel of our National Park System.”

The legislation came on the heels of a news story regarding exploratory drilling for uranium within a few miles of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, a popular tourist destination.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has requested the Bush administration to use it’s executive powers to withdraw areas in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon from mining.

The bill calls for protection of 628,000 acres in the Kanab Creek area, 112,655 in House Rock Valley and 327,886 acres in the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National forest south of the canyon.

A Congressional field hearing will be held on March 28th in the Flagstaff, AZ City Hall. Local elected officials, Tribal representatives, Grand Canyon area business and environmental representatives and uranium experts are expected to attend the hearing.

The legislation, The Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act of 2008 (H.R. 5583) has been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. Congressman Grijalva serves on that committee.

The Grand Canyon Area is Next for Uranium Exploration

Max Lindberg — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:01:59 +0000

I was going through the headlines, just waiting for something to drag me out of my lethargy, and it happened. The New York Times posted a headline reading “Uranium Exploration Near Grand Canyon”, and that excited my first bit of exercise for the day; the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

What an outrage! But, before going on, I must say it isn’t the first time they’ve mined uranium in the Kaibab National Forest, near the Grand Canyon. That stopped when the price of uranium plummeted more than two decades ago.

Now, with the resurgence of interest in building new reactors across the country, the miners and prospectors are out again. Which I find rather interesting since the United States and Russia just signed an agreement allowing Russia to sell uranium to the United States. I gotta think about that one.

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