Grand Canyon Issues
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Call your congressional representatives and ask them to support the Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act.
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Tribal leaders weigh in
In 2005, the Navajo Nation outlawed uranium mining and processing on its 27,000 square-mile reservation. Hopi, Kaibab Paiute, Hualapai, and Havasupai leaders joined Navajo President Shirley in testifying in support of legislation that would withdraw from new mineral development most of the remaining federal lands surrounding the Grand Canyon. At Chairman Grijalva’s recent field hearing in Flagstaff, Navajo President Joe Shirley said:
“The tragedy of uranium’s legacy extends not only to those who worked in the mines, but to those who worked and lived near the mines that also experienced devastating illnesses. Decades later, the families who live in those same areas continue to experience health problems today. The remnants of uranium activity continue to pollute our land, our water, and our lives. It would be unforgivable to allow this cycle to continue for another generation.”
ADEQ’s response to Denison Mine permits
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) recently denied Denison Mines permits to operate two mines on the Tusayan Ranger District because it “proposed using outdated, 20-year-old liners and impoundment ponds to capture uranium mine-related runoff.” The company is moving quickly to reopen the controversial mines that threaten ground and surface waters of the Havasupai and Grand Canyon. ADEQ director Steve Owens said, “The burden is on them to prove to us that there will not be an impact on groundwater.”
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