Californians Call for Canyon Mining Moratorium
Monday, May 9, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of Americans, including three dozen California groups, have weighed in to support a federal proposal for a 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims on 1 million acres near Grand Canyon National Park. Now that the public comment period has ended, the Obama administration is expected to decide the issue in the next few weeks.
Lynn Hamilton is the executive director of Grand Canyon River Guides, a nonprofit group of professional river guides and individuals who love the Grand Canyon. She warns that runoff from existing uranium mines has already polluted several rivers, creeks and springs within the national park.
"It's really alarming for people to feel like the areas that they're visiting and recreating in, which they consider to be wilderness areas, are tainted in this way."
Hamilton also expresses concern about the potential effect on tourism from uranium mining claims that are "right on the doorstep" of the Grand Canyon.
"This is an area that draws 5 million visitors each year. It contributes almost $700 million annually to the regional economy."
Native Americans living in northern Arizona have been especially hard-hit by water pollution resulting from uranium mining, Hamilton adds.
"It's really a deadly history. Many Native Americans have died from drinking tainted water or from using that water to sustain their livestock and crops when it's contaminated."
Several local governments and area Native Americans have also endorsed the proposed mining ban. The industry maintains that modern mining techniques prevent environmental damage.
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