Interior Department Action Fails to Protect the Grand Canyon from Mining

Jane Danowitz, U.S. public lands program director at the Pew Environment Group, today issued the following statement on a rule coming from the U.S. Department of Interior Friday, December 5, that would limit the ability of Congress to protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining:

"It is unfortunate that the administration today has attempted to tie the hands of Congress and thwart efforts to protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining.
 
“In light of the dramatic rise in new mining claims within a stone's throw of the Grand Canyon's rim, the administration should be moving to halt more claim staking, not rescinding rules that allow for emergency protections.
 
“Ultimately, the best way to protect national treasures such as the Grand Canyon from uranium and other metal mining is for Congress to roll up its sleeves and commit to reforming the 1872 mining law in the coming year.”

For more information on 1872 mining law reform, visit the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining website: www.pewminingreform.org