BY LAUREL MORALES
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Dec. 15 in two cases involving uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park. In 2012 the Interior Secretary banned all new mining claims on a million acres surrounding the park for 20 years.
In the first case, lawyers for the Havasupai Tribe and conservation groups argued a mining company needs to evaluate potential environmental and cultural impacts on the land before reopening a mine six miles south of the park.