Activists Try to Shut Down Uranium Mine
This mine is near the Grand Canyon and is legal and safely managed
map - ESRI, US Forest Service Paul Horn, Inside Climate News
from insideclimatenews
“Members of environmental groups stood together in the lobby of the Arizona State Capitol Executive Tower late last month to deliver a petition to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, requesting that she stop uranium mining activities near the Grand Canyon National Park.
The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Wild Arizona, Chispa Arizona and Haul No!, a group formed to fight the mining and transport of uranium, delivered a petition with more than 17,500 signatures to the governor.
They are seeking closure of the Pinyon Plain Mine, located less than 10 miles from the Grand Canyon. It is inside the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, which President Joe Biden established in August 2023. The removal of uranium ore from the mine started in late December.”
No new mines are allowed in the area, but pre-exsisting mines are still allowed under certain strict conditions. I was surprised to read that “There are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation”. The petition makes all kinds of scary claims despite the fact that this mine has met all the requirements of all the federal and state agencies concerned with safety and clean operation and will be watched very closely for any operational violations. Here is the rebuttal to the claims:
“Energy Fuels Resources President and CEO Mark Chalmers said groups opposing the mine failed to prove their claims about the permitting process in court and are now conducting a “public disinformation campaign.”
“The Pinyon Plain Mine has been studied extensively for more than 30 years, with input from federal and state agencies, regulatory bodies and tribal stakeholders resulting in the issuance of all required permits for the mine,” Chalmers said in a written statement.
“Unfortunately, this smear campaign is designed to scare local and Indigenous communities by spreading misinformation and innuendo,” he said. “We are proud of the Pinyon Plain Mine and its role in reducing reliance on bad actors like Russia for the fuel that powers one of our best sources of carbon-free electricity.”
We desperately need more electric energy generation to meet escalating demand, and the best way to do that is with reliable, 24/7/365 clean, zero emission nuclear energy, and for that, we need uranium mined here in the US; not mined in some place like China or Russia, which are much less strict when it comes to protecting the environment during the mining process.
That's rich: where are they going to get their "carbon free" electrons for their AI, Amazon, and to charge their phones?
Should use S.1407 of the Patriot Act to give federal resources to stop things like this. But shouldn't have to, Reservations are Federal lands therefore is under executive jurisdiction. All the administration has to do is give the green light.