Uranium Mining Halted Near Grand Canyon

Photo by Ken Oettle

On April 4 a federal judge issued a restraining order against a mining company and the Kaibab National Forest, halting uranium exploration on public lands within a few miles of Grand Canyon National Park. "We're pleased that the judge recognized the importance of protecting the Canyon and the possible significant impacts this exploration could have," says Sandy Bahr, below, director of the Club's Grand Canyon Chapter.

In December, the Kaibab National Forest approved exploratory uranium drilling by VANE Minerals at up to 39 locations just south of the canyon. The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Grand Canyon Trust took the Forest Service to court in early March for violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and failing to conduct a rigorous analysis of the cumulative impacts of drilling so close to a national treasure.

Meanwhile, the Club helped turn out some 200 citizens to a congressional field hearing in Flagstaff on March 28, above, challenging the drilling, which had been approved using a "categorical exclusion," the least rigorous public and environmental review available to the agency under NEPA. While the lawsuit was pending, the Forest Service and VANE began drilling at three site projects. That drilling is now on hold.

"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," says Bahr, who cites the work of volunteer Sharon Galbreath and organizers Stacey Hamburg, Rob Smith, and Robert Tohe as key to the Club's efforts.

Read more about the Sierra Club's work to protect America's wild legacy.

Comments

[Tim in Plano TX]

This news just prompted me to make a donation of $100 to Sierra Club. I am an amateur photographer and I cannot imagine allowing these "race to the bottom" corporations free access to some of the most beautiful and photogenic places on earth. There is no uranium fuel shortage right now and to the extent that there is likely to be one in the future does it not make sense to leave it right where mother nature has stored it away for millions of years? Sort of like a rainy day savings account? Oh sorry, we don't save money anymore in Bushworld...

[Jim Harwood]

Great job people !! Save it for later !! By the way , I save a lot of money every year , BUSH has nothing to do with this idiot !!! Jax.Florida

[Jeff Sndogres]

Good job! It causes one to wonder; who profits from the pillage and rape of natural resources from lands that are sustained through tax-payers dollars?
Of course the Bush administration exits the political arena with one of, if not, the worst environmental policy record we have ever witnessed... One example was he and his administartion's attempt to reduce the ESA to toilet paper.
Keep up the great work and it's good to see my donations are going to work in a highly beneficial manner... Though it's sad a public administration must be taken to court over something it has been formed and funded by the "public" to protect for the "public"... Sort of makes you wonder what we're paying for.

[Stacey Hamburg]

Thanks everyone! We appreciate the moral support! Of course there's much more work to be done but this really has resulted in some exciting progress!

Stacey Hamburg
Sierra Club
Grand Canyon Protection Campaign
Flagstaff, AZ

[Cindy Szponder]

Congrats. Hope our story here in Northern Colorado turns out as well. We're working to stop uranium mining throughout Colorado but specifically near Nunn, CO. The mining companies are putting up quite a fight against legislation that is working its way through and would hopefully have enough teeth to prevent contamination of ground water and other resource destruction. I urge everyone interested in this issue to check out the CARD site http://www.nunnglow.com to see how you can help stop the mining.

Cindy