1M Acres of Grand Canyon to Be Protected from Mining: Very Good for the Colorado River!!! (Shaun McKinnon, WaterBlogged)

Jan.24, 2009 in Pollution, Public Works, Water Conservation, Water Crisis, Water Industry, Water Management

(Jan. 22, 2009, Shaun McKinnon, WaterBlogged)

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva introduced legislation Thursday to protect more than 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon from mining.

The measure would withdraw public lands near the canyon from mineral exploration and is aimed in particular at proposals to mine uranium.

Grijalva and House Democrats tried last year to block federal agencies from allowing exploratory drilling, but the Bush administration pulled rank and kept the gates open.

“We have a responsibility to protect the Grand Canyon,” said Grijalva. “The federal government and mining companies should not propose new mining when they still have not adequately dealt with the cleanup of old uranium mine sites on tribal lands and other lands around Northern Arizona.”

Old uranium operations sickened Navajos who worked in the mines or lived near them and uranium tailings have contaminated groundwater and seeped into the Colorado River.

Mining companies insist they have improved methods and only sought to drill exploratory tunnels. Drilling has occurred in the past year on parcels overseen by the Bureau of Land Management on the canyon’s north rim.

The bill introduced Thursday with co-sponsors Ed Pastor of Arizona, Nick Rahall of West Virginia and Maurice Hinchey or New York wouild withdraw from future mining three key areas:

>>628,886 acres in the Kanab Creek area

>>112,655 acres in House Rock Valley, land under BLM jurisdiction

>>327,367 acres in the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest south o the canyon.

Grijalva said ultimately, Congress needs to rewrite mining laws that he says have allowed companies to damage environmentally sensitive lands. In the meantime, he wants the areas near the Grand Canyon put off limits.

(Historical photo: Michael Amundson)

(Original Article Here)