Uranium mining incompatible with Grand Canyon
Since 2003, 2251 mining claims have been staked within 10 miles of the Grand Canyon. Many if not most of these claims are being filed in environmentally sensitive areas, including areas in close proximity to most of the Plateau’s wilderness areas and National Parks. On January 8, the Kaibab National Forest approved a proposal by Vane Minerals to conduct an exploration project in the Tusayan Ranger District on 12 sections of land on which they have uranium claims.
The development in the Tusayan Ranger District will occur along the borders of the most heavily visited area in the Park. One of these claims that will be drilled is less than two miles from the Tusayan Ruins interpretive center in the Grand Canyon National Park. As uranium companies move from speculation to actual development, once again, uranium development and mining could pose a serious threat to the Grand Canyon National Park.
The current uranium claims are clustered in watersheds and on the aquifers that feed the tributaries, springs and seeps in the National Park. Contamination in these areas will inevitably wind up in the Park, adversely affecting the unique biodiversity that the tributaries, springs and seeps create in the Grand Canyon.
